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SAMUEL  DUNHAM 


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Dunham,  Samuel. 
Retrospect  of  a  happy 
ministry 


REV.  SAMUEL  DUNHAM. 
Pastor    of    the    West    Church    during    its    first    twenty-nine    years, 
1873-1902.     Pastor    Emeritus    since    January    3,    1902. 


RETROSPECT 
OF  A  HAPPY  MINISTRY 

The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century 

INCLUDING     PERSONAL     REMINISCENCES,     AND    A     COMPLETE 
HISTORY    FROM    ITS    FIRST    INCEPTION  OF 


THE  WEST  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 

BINGHAMTON,    N.    Y. 


S^^ 


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BY/ 


JUL 


SAMUEL  DUNHAM    "^Qam>A9,l^^' 

The  First  Pastor  ^^  uiuntu     ^^ 


With  Portraits  of  the  Successive  Pastors,  and 

Views  of  Church  Edifices  and 

Parsonage 

ALSO    AN   APPENDIX 


VAIL-BALLOU   COMPANY" 

BINGHAMTON  AND  NEW  YORK 

1914 


Copyright.  1914 
Bt  SAMUEL  DUNHAM 


to  the  generous  hosts  of  fast  and 
faithful  friends,  on  earth  and  in 
Heaven,  who  have  so  often  cheered 
my  heart,  and  blessed  my  home,  and 
gladdened  my  days  of  toil  and  trial, 

AND  brightened  MY  MINISTRY,  AND  EN- 
riched my  v^^hole  life,  and  kept 
me  from  growing  old,  by  their  warm, 
cheery  greetings  and  kindly  words, 
and  cordial  friendship,  and  loving 
sympathy,  through  all  these  happy, 

golden  years, 

this    volume    is    affectionately 

dedicated, 

with  a  profound  and  tender  sense 

of  gratitude  to  thexm   and  to  the 

Friend  and  Brother  of  us  all. 


'^Recollection    is    the    only    paradise 
from  which  we  cannot  be  turned  out'' 

RiCHTER. 

''Those  first  affeciionSt 
Those  shadowy  recollections; 
Which^  be  they  what  they  may^ 
Are  yet  the  fountain-light  of  all  our  day^ 
Are  yet  a  master  light  of  all  our  seeing T 

William  Wordsworth. 

"Though  varying  wishes^  hopes ^  and  fears^ 
Fever  d  the  progress  of  these  yearSy 
Yet  now,  days,  weeks,  and  months,  but  seem 
The  recollection  of  a  dreamt 

Scott. 


PREFATORY  NOTE 

On  May  4,  1898,  at  a  regular  meeting  of  the 
Session  of  the  West  Presbyterian  Church,  it  was 
unanimously  resolved  that  the  proceedings  con- 
nected with  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  the 
installation  of  the  Pastor,  Rev.  Samuel  Dunham 
(April  24,  1898),  be  published;  but  that  the  work 
of  publication  be  delayed  until  the  fuller  record 
could  be  made  after  the  completion  and  dedica- 
tion of  the  new  house  of  worship. 

For  various  reasons  the  delay  has  been  pro- 
longed far  beyond  the  time  expected. 

Meantime,  the  plans  of  the  writer  have  been 
considerably  modified,  and  the  scope  of  the  work 
much  enlarged  to  include  some  interesting  remi- 
niscences of  the  earlier  and  later  years  of  his 
ministry,  and,  especially,  to  bring  the  record  down 
to  date,  so  as  to  embrace  briefly  the  closing  years 
of  his  own  pastorate  and  the  pastorates  of  his 
successors. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Retrospect  and  Prospect i 

Life's  Cape  of  Good  Hope 4 

Seventy  Years  Young 6 

The  True  Optimism 7 

Back  to  Childhood 9 

Choice  of  the  Ministry 12 

My   First   Pastorate 14 

Spiritual  Refreshings 15 

A  Memorable  Year 18 

A  Church  One  Hundred  and  Fifty  Years  Old  21 
Influence   of  Preachers   Before   and  During 

THE  Civil  War 25 

The  Mother  of  Churches 28 

Whitefield's  Notable   Visit 29 

My  First  European  Tour 30 

The  Vatican  Council  of  i869-'70,  and  Italian 

Unity.  A  Series  of  Startling  Events  .  .  31 
Old  First  Church,  Norwalk,  Conn.,  Founded 

IN   1652 33 

The  West   Church,  Binghamton      ....  34 

Passed  Its  Forty-first  Milestone  ....  36 
Exceeding    Interest    and    Value    of    Earliest 

Records 38 


Contents 

PAGE 

The  Initial  Movement  Checked  By  the  Burn- 
ing   OF    the    New    Edifice    of    the    First 

Church 40 

Delayed  By  the  Removal  of  the  Congregation- 

ALISTS    TO    the    WeST    SiDE 4I 

West  Church  Society  Organized     ....  43 

The  Chapel  Dedicated .  44 

Our  First  Sabbath 47 

Organization  of  the  Church  .      .      .      .      .      .48 

Installation  of  First  Pastor 49 

No  Holiday   Pastime 50 

Heroic  Debt  Raising 51 

Tribute  to  the  Women ^^ 

Church   Building  Enlarged 57 

Re-Dedication 58 

Pastor's  Resignation  Reconsidered  and  With- 
drawn          58 

Renewed  Activity  and  Growth 59 

Delightful  Oriental  Tour.     An   Ideal  Party  60 

A  Miraculous  Deliverance 62 

With  Foreign  Missionaries  on  Their  Fields  and 

in   Their  Homes 63 

The  Free  Pew  Problem 64 

In  Memoriam 66 

Church  Anniversaries 67 

The  Fifth  Anniversary 67 

The  Twentieth  Anniversary 69 

New  Year's  Social  Re-Union  After  Two  Dec- 
ades        73 

The  Silver  Jubilee 75 


Contents 

PAGE 

A  Quarter  of  a  Century  Grandly  Celebrated  .  84 

The  Project  of  a  New  Church  Edifice  ...  89 

Subscriptions  Started 94 

Corner-Stone  Laid 96 

Contents  of  the  Box 98 

A  Graceful  Tribute  from  the  City  Ministerial 

Association 102 

Farewell  to  the  Old  Church 105 

The  Old  Church  for  Sale 109 

Dedication  of  the  New  Church 111 

Memorial  Windows 115 

A  Weighty  Communication  and  Surprise   .      .117 

Jubilee   Night 123 

Evangelistic    Services 127 

Missionary  to  Japan 128 

Pastor's  Message  to  His  People  .      .      .      .      .  130 

A   Successor   Chosen 139 

Happily   Wedded 141 

Retirement  of  Mr.  Dunham 142 

Pastoral   Relations   Formally   Dissolved    .      .151 

Installation  of  Dr.  Hallenbeck 153 

Dr.  Hallenbeck  Resigns.     An  Appreciation    .  156 

Dr.   Colville's   Pastorate 160 

Dr.  Colville's  Letter  of  Resignation.     A  De- 
served  Tribute         163 

Rev.  Mr.  McCormick  Called  and  Regularly  In- 
stalled        168 

Mr.  Dunham's  Continuous  Labors  ....  170 
Called  to  the  Floral  Avenue  Church  .  .  .171 
The    Floral    Avenue    Pastorate,    and    Third 

Trip     Abroad 175 


Contents 

PAGE 

Fifty  Years  in  the  Ministry 178 

Activities  Not  Limited  to  His  Own  Parish  .  179 
Final  Retrospect  and  Reflections  ....  184 
What  Meantime  Has  Transpired  in  the  World 

About   Us? 185 

Volumes  of  Unwritten  History  Locked  Up  in 

THE  Secret  Heart  of  the  Years  ....  190 
"Christ   Lives.     Forward!" 193 

APPENDIX 

History    of    the    West    Presbyterian    Sunday 

School 197 

The  Ladies'  Industrial  Society 207 

The  Woman's  Missionary  Society   .     .     .      .210 

The   Woman's   Union 212 

The  King's  Daughters 213 

The  Young  People's  Society  of  Christian  En- 
deavor        217 

The  Junior  Christian  Endeavor  Society   .      .   222 

Other   Societies   Mentioned 227 

Original  Members  of  the  West  Presbyterian 
Church   at   its    Formation,    February    12, 

1873 227 

Complete  List  of  the  Elders  of  the  West  Pres- 
byterian  Church 228 

Deacons  of  the  West  Presbyterian  Church  .  229 
Trustees  of  the  West  Presbyterian  Society  .  230 
Treasurers  of  the  West  Presbyterian  Society  232 
Present  Officers  of  the  West  Presbyterian 

Church  in  1914 232 


Contents 

PAGE 

Tenth  Anniversary  of  the  Floral  Avenue 
Presbyterian  Church,  May  22,  1902.  His- 
torical Sketch  by  Mr.  G.  M.  T.  Johnson  .  233 

Paper  Read  by  Mr.  G.  M.  T.  Johnson  at  the 
Twentieth  Anniversary  of  Floral  Ave- 
nue Presbyterian  Church,  May  22,  1912  .  244 

Present     Officers     of     the     Floral     Avenue 

Church   in    1914 250 

Original    Members    of    the    Floral    Avenue 

Church  at  its  Organization,  May  22,  1892  .  251 

Pioneers  of  Religion   in  the  Early  Days  of 

Binghamton's  History 252 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Rev.    Samuel    Dunham Frontispiece 


FACING 
PAGE 


The  New  West  Church i 

The  Original  Chapel 44 

Church   Remodeled   and   Enlarged 58 

The  Parsonage .66 

Rev.   Edwin   F.   Hallenbeck,   D.D 139 

Rev.  G.  Murray  Colville,  D.D 160 

Rev.  Arthur  B.  McCormick 168 


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RETROSPECT  AND  PROSPECT 

Looking  backward  is  not  always  wise.  Often 
it  is  the  worst  and  most  dangerous  direction  one 
can  turn  his  eyes.  Witness  Lot's  wife,  and  the 
Children  of  Israel  in  their  desert  wanderings  cast- 
ing a  longing  look  behind  and  sighing  for  the 
fleshpots  of  Egypt.  Retrospect  may  even  prove 
fatal.  By  nature  man  is  gifted  with  foresight, 
and  this  endowment  is  enriched  by  every  acces- 
sion of  wisdom  and  grace.  Solomon  tells  us, 
"The  wise  man's  eyes  are  in  his  head."  His  eyes 
are  located,  moreover,  in  the  front  part  of  his 
head  for  the  obvious  purpose  of  looking  forward, 
rather  than  backward.  Nevertheless,  there  are 
seasons  in  our  lives,  as  at  the  close  of  the  year, 
on  birth  days  and  wedding  days,  or  on  certain  im- 
portant anniversary  occasions,  or  when  the  sun 
of  one's  life  is  declining  towards  the  western 
hills,  and  the  more  active  labors  of  one's  life  are 
nearing  their  completion,  when  retrospection  may 
be  very  useful,  salutary  and  helpful,  for  thereby 

are  we  enabled  to  discover  our  past  follies,  and  to 

I 


2         Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

rectify,  if  we  will,  our  past  mistakes  and  failures. 

It  is  quite  possible,  also,  that  a  careful,  or  even 
casual,  review  of  the  by-gone  years  may  awaken 
not  a  few  delightful  and  precious  memories,  re- 
call many  happy  scenes,  impress  profitable  les- 
sons, and  inspire  the  heart  with  renewed  courage, 
confidence  and  hope,  and,'  withal,  kindle  anew 
one's  heartfelt  gratitude  to  God.  Like  the  stern- 
lights  of  a  ship  it  may  serve  greatly  to  illumine 
and  brighten  the  way  over  which  we  have  been 
voyaging. 

Casting  an  eager,  thoughtful  glance  backward, 
therefore,  over  the  busy  years  from  the  point  of 
view  of  one  who  has  retired  from  the  more  stren- 
uous and  pressing  duties  of  his  ministerial  office, 
one  is  forcibly  reminded  of  the  words  of  the  great 
German  poet: 

"Rest  is  not  quitting 

This  busy  career; 
Rest  is  the  fitting 

Of  self  to  its  sphere." 

These  lines  of  Goethe  very  nearly  express  our 
conception  of  the  happy  estate  of  a  "Pastor 
Emeritus."  He  is  not  of  necessity  one  who  has 
fallen  into  a  condition  of  ''innocuous  desuetude." 
He  has  not  wholly  withdrawn  himself  from  the 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century       8 

world's  activities,  nor  retired  into  utter  obscurity. 
He  has,  rather,  fitted  himself  into  new  surround- 
ings, adjusted  himself  to  changed  relations,  but 
finds  himself  still  busy  in  other  forms  and  spheres 
of  labor,  though  with  less  of  the  former  restless 
activity  and  never  ceasing  pressure  of  pastoral 
care  and  responsibility,  and  with  a  little  more  of 
agreeable  pastime,  and  dignified  leisure  {otium 
cum  dignitate)  for  calm  and  serene  reflection. 
Our  own  experience  is  that  the  intensely  active 
life  of  a  pastor,  with  the  incessant  urgency  of  du- 
ties goading  him  perpetually  onward,  and  absorb- 
ing all  his  time  and  energies,  serves  almost  abso- 
lutely to  obliterate  from  his  mind  the  past,  and 
renders  any  deliberate  looking  backward  well- 
nigh  an  impossibility. 

When  Luther  spoke  of  his  lot  as  one  of  "Work 
on  Earth  and  rest  in  Heaven,"  he  was  a  total 
stranger  to  that  pleasant  sensation  of  relief  felt 
by  the  minister  who  has  laid  down  the  chief  bur- 
den of  his  toil  for  a  brief  season  of  respite  and 
comparative  ease  before  actually  entering  upon 
the  rest  that  "remaineth  to  the  people  of  God." 

The  retrospect  herein  contemplated  is  that  of 
a  happy  ministry  of  full  fifty  years'  continuance, 
and  of  almost  uninterrupted  labor.  In  his  "Life 
and  Thoughts,"  John  Foster,  with  true  insight, 


4        Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

declares  that  "An  interval  of  forty  years  makes 
all  the  difference  between  the  morning  of  life  and 
its  evening:  the  mind  in  the  one  position,  occu- 
pied with  imagination,  conjecture,  possibilities, 
resolutions,  hopes;  in  the  other,  looking  back  to 
see  the  visionary  speculation  reduced  to  the  hu- 
mility of  an  experience  and  reality." 

It  is  now  two  score  years  and  ten  since  the 
writer's  public  ordination  to  the  Christian  minis- 
try in  the  good  old  State  of  Massachusetts.  Fifty 
years  ago  it  was  the  morning  glow;  now  it  is  the 
mellower  evening  after-glow.  Then  it  was  rosy, 
youthful  imagination,  conjecture,  sanguine  hope, 
eager  forward  looking;  now  it  is  not  so  much 
"visionary  speculation"  as  sober  intensely  real 
looking  backward.  Then  it  was  all  radiant  pros- 
pect. Now,  after  half  a  century  of  experience 
of  the  stern  realities  of  life,  it  is  humble,  yet 
happy  and  thankful  retrospect. 

LIFE'S  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE 

"If  I  were  to  follow  the  example  of  Lecky," 
says  President  Oilman,  "and  to  draw  the  Map  of 
Life  with  such  cartographical  knowledge  as  has 
come  to  me,  I  should  mark  the  age  of  seventy  as 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  for  the  cheer  of  those 
who  are  doubling  this  Cape,  I  should  show  that 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century       5 

it  leads  to  a  Pacific  Sea,  within  whose  bounds  lie 
the  Fortunate  Isles." 

One  comes  thus  to  occupy,  in  fact,  a  kind  of 
vantage  ground  for  both  backward  and  forward 
looking.  Age  serves  as  a  watch-tower,  situated 
upon  an  eminence,  from  whose  summit  are  gained 
far  broader  and  more  comprehensive  views  than 
those  of  youth  and  immaturity.  It  seems  a 
happy  provision  and  combination  of  divine  Prov- 
idence and  Grace  whereby,  to  the  man  of  faith, 
the  accumulating  years  of  life  open  up  and  dis- 
close, at  one  and  the  same  time,  clearer  and  more 
distinct  recollections  of  the  past  and  brighter  and 
more  beautiful  visions  of  the  great  future. 

Thus  age  has  its  twofold  advantage — its 
blessed  compensations — to  offset  its  disadvantages 
and  to  atone,  in  part,  for  its  irksome  limitations. 

With  Emerson  we  confidently  believe  that, 
"The  soul  does  not  age  with  the  body.  On  the 
borders  of  the  grave  the  wise  man  looks  forward 
with  equal  elasticity  of  mind,  or  hope;  and  why 
not,  after  millions  of  years,  on  the  verge  of  still 
newer  existence  *?  for  it  is  the  nature  of  intelli- 
gent beings  to  be  ever  new  to  life.  Most  men 
are  insolvent,  or  promise  by  their  countenance 
and  conversation  and  by  their  early  endeavor 
much  more  than  they  ever  perform — suggesting 


6        Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

a  design  still  to  be  carried  out;  the  man  must 
have  new  motives,  new  companions,  new  condi- 
tions, and  another  term." 

SEVENTY  YEARS  YOUNG 

It  was  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  who  aptly  said. 
*'It  is  better  to  be  seventy  years  young  than  to  be 
forty  years  old."  Do  we  not  all  so  feel  and  be- 
lieve? Age  is  by  no  means  measured  accurately 
by  the  years  of  one's  life. 

"We  live  in  deeds,  not  years ;  in  thoughts,  not  breaths ; 
In  feelings,  not  in  figures  on  a  dial. 

We  should  count  time  by  heart-throbs.  He  most  lives. 
Who  thinks  most,  feels  the  noblest,  acts  the  best." 

My  revered  mother,  who  lived  to  see  her  io6th 
year,  was  younger  at  lOO  than  many  an  one  at 
seventy-five.  Better  far  than  premature  old  age 
is  perpetual  youth.  It  matters  not  how  many 
years  or  decades  may  fly  over  our  heads,  we  ar- 
dently desire  to  retain  our  youthful  fire  and 
vigor;  and  if,  perchance,  we  may  not  do  that,  we 
wish,  at  least,  to  prolong  and  preserve  in  per- 
petuity our  youthful  elasticity  of  spirits,  our 
buoyant  cheerfulness,  and  our  undying  enthusi- 
asm. 

Doing  thus,  the  calm  retrospect,  in  one's  later 
life,  may  be  even  ruddier  and  more  serene  and 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century       7 

satisfying  than  the  brightest  prospect  of  the 
earlier  years,  just  as  the  time  of  fruitage,  or  the 
season  of  the  ripened  harvest  is  ever  a  period  of 
truer  joy  than  the  uncertain  days  of  seed-sowing 
when  hope  has  not  as  yet  reached  the  richness  and 
sweetness  of  its  fruition.  Not  the  pale,  tender 
vines  but  the  purple  vintage  brings  the  brightest 
visions  as  well  as  the  most  blessed  memories. 

"Let  me  but  live  my  life  from  year  to  year, 
With  forward  face  and  unreluctant  soul, 
Not  hastening  to,  nor  turning  from  the  goal; 

Not  mourning  for  the  things  that  disappear 

In  the  dim  past,  nor  holding  back  in  fear 

From  what  the  future  veils,  but  with  a  whole 
And  happy  heart,  that  pays  its  toll 

To  Youth  and  Age,  and  travels  on  with  cheer. 

"So  let  the  way  wind  up  the  hill  or  down, 

Through  rough  or  smooth,  the  journey  will  be  joy; 
Still  seeking  what  I  sought  when  but  a  boy, 

New  friendship,  high  endeavor,  and  a  crown. 
I  shall  grow  old,  but  never  lose  life's  zest. 
Because  the  road's  last  turn  will  be  the  best." 

THE  TRUE  OPTIMISM 

Such  is  the  true  optimism,  whether  of  man- 
hood's prime  or  of  old  age. 

When  some  one  asked  an  artist,  "Which  is  your 
best  picture?"  the  artist  promptly  replied  "My 


8        Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

next."  Such  ought,  undoubtedly,  to  be  the  high 
aim  and  ideal  of  our  human  lives.  Our  best  year, 
our  best  deed,  our  noblest  achievement,  our  finest 
touch  of  grace  and  moral  beauty,  our  real  master- 
piece, should,  if  possible,  be  our  next. 

With  advancing  age  men  are  wont  to  become 
increasingly  conservative.  But,  as  some  one  sug- 
gests, the  past,  so  far  from  being  a  "hitching- 
post,"  ought  rather  to  serve  as  a  "guide-post" — 
an  inspiration  and  incentive  for  the  onward 
march. 

In  any  fair  and  right  estimate  of  our  choicest 
earthly  treasures,  the  past  must  be  reckoned  as 
among  our  most  valuable  assets;  partly  because 
the  past  is  a  permanent  possession  of  which  we 
can  never  be  deprived. 

The  present  is  a  fickle  goddess,  the  future  a 
sealed  book,  holding  a  record  awaiting  as  yet  its 
mysterious  unfolding.  But  the  past  is  graven 
forever  upon  the  durable  tablets  of  history,  and 
can  never  be  effaced.  Its  worth  will  never  de- 
preciate. It  will,  rather,  grow  more  and  more 
precious  with  the  passing  of  the  years.  Hence 
any  opportunity  to  revert  to  it,  to  meditate  upon 
it,  to  recall  its  scenes  and  events,  should  be  re- 
garded as  a  privilege  to  be  highly  prized.  Be- 
sides, a  profound  reverence  for  the  past,  and  a 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century       9 

grateful  remembrance  of  God's  good  hand  in  our 
life-history,  and  a  humble  recognition  of  His 
merciful  dealings  with  us  hitherto,  may  well  prove 
a  source  of  fresh  inspiration  for  the  time  to  come. 
Certain  is  it  that,  in  the  later  years  of  a  busy 
life,  nothing  is  more  natural  than,  occasionally, 
to  fall  into  a  mood  of  serious  reflection  upon  the 
by-gone  days. 

BACK  TO  CHILDHOOD 

This  retrospect  carries  us  back,  in  fact,  to  the 
happy  season  of  our  childhood  and  school  days  in 
the  old  Connecticut  home.  The  old  red  school 
house  with  its  battered  sides  has  been  superseded 
by  a  new  white  one  of  ampler  proportions;  the 
little  skating  pond  has  sadly  shrunken  and  nearly 
evaporated  beneath  the  Summer  sun;  the  streams 
are  narrower;  the  hills  lower;  the  fields  and  woods 
less  vast,  and  the  old  schoolmates  and  friends  of 
a  former  day  have  almost  all  passed  on. 

But,  thank  God,  sun  and  moon  and  stars  and 
sky  remain  just  the  same  as  sixty  years  ago,  and 
the  tender  memory  of  those  days  as  fresh  and  fra- 
grant as  ever. 

One  can  never  escape  the  charm  and  fascination 
of  one's  birth-place. 

Born  February  8,  1835,  ^^  Southington,  Hart- 


10       Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

ford  County,  Conn.,  the  youngest  son  of  Chaun- 
cey  and  Sylvia  Langdon  Dunham,  we  take  a 
natural  and  pardonable  pride  in  proclaiming  the 
fact  that  our  venerable  mother — who  was  born 
July  27,  1800,  and  had  the  unique  experience 
of  enjoying  life  in  three  successive  centuries, — 
lived  on  into  the  twentieth  century,  passing  away 
in  February,  1906,  at  the  age  of  105  years  and 
seven  months,  and  that  she  was  a  "real  daughter" 
of  the  American  Revolution,  her  father.  Captain 
Giles  Langdon,  having  served  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary Army. 

In  the  absence  of  any  peculiarly  startling  per- 
sonal exploits  and  achievements  to  record  we  also 
find  just  a  little  satisfaction  and  comfort  in  a 
recent  discovery  that  the  genealogy  of  the  Dun- 
ham family  in  England  and  America, — two  vol- 
umes by  Professor  Isaac  Watson  Dunham  lately 
issued  from  the  press, — traces  our  honored  Eng- 
lish ancestry  not  only  directly  back  to  Edward 
III  (which  may  mean  little  or  much),  who  was 
born  Nov.  13,  1312,  at  Windsor  Castle,  but  also, 
and  more  a  matter  of  gratulation,  back  to  Dea- 
con John  Dunham  of  the  Mayflower,  who  figured 
so  prominently  in  Colonial  affairs,  having  for 
many  years  served  as  an  officer  of  the  Church,  and 
Deputy  of  old  Plymouth  Colony. 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     11 

During  the  eleven  years  spent  in  Leyden  after 
the  removal  of  the  Pilgrim  band  from  England, 
great  changes  had  taken  place-  in  the  membership 
of  the  original  church  at  Scrooby,  so  that  at  the 
time  of  the  embarkation  from  Leyden  only  two 
of  the  original  congregation,  Deacon  John  Dun- 
ham and  Elder  William  Brewster,  natives  of 
Scrooby,  were  left  to  emigrate  to  America  on 
board  the  Mayflower,  the  other  passengers  being 
a  later  arrival  from  England. 

The  old  Coat  of  Arms  of  the  Dunham  family 
is  particularly  beautiful  in  design  and  colors,  and 
bears  the  significant  legend,  ''Semper  Vigilante'' 
("Always  Vigilant"),  which  is  claimed  to  be  a 
noticeable  characteristic  of  the  Dunham  tribe; 
but  which,  more  likely,  is  intended  to  emphasize 
and  impress  the  duty  and  the  necessity  of  con- 
stant watchfulness. 

I  made  a  public  confession  of  faith  in  1855, 
and  united  with  the  old  First  Congregational 
Church  in  my  native  town.  Fitted  for  college 
at  Lewis  Academy,  Southington,  graduating  as 
valedictorian  in  the  Summer  of  1855.  Entered 
Yale  College  with  the  Class  of  1859,  but  was 
soon  obliged,  by  the  return  of  a  serious  affection 
of  the  eyes,  to  abandon  study  for  nearly  a  year. 
I  then  re-entered  Yale  and  graduated  with  the 


12       Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

Class  of  i860.  I  had  the  good  fortune  to  be  one 
of  seven  young  men  from  that  same  town  and 
that  same  old  church  who  graduated  at  Yale  Col- 
lege at  about  the  same  time,  every  one  of  whom 
entered  the  Christian  Ministry. 

Among  these  ''seven  wise  (or  otherwise) 
men"  of  Connecticut  was  my  dear  old  fellow- 
student  and  college  chum,  a  life-long  friend  al- 
wa)^s  known  as  "Joe  Twitchell,"  but  during  his 
forty-six  or  forty-seven  years'  pastorate  of  the 
Asylum  Hill  Congregational  Church,  Hartford, 
almost  equally  well  known  as  the  intimate  friend 
of  Mark  Twain,  and  whether  as  student,  athlete, 
''Chaplain  Joe,"  whplesouled  companion  and 
friend,  pastor,  preacher,  story  teller,  writer,  pub- 
lic spirited  citizen,  or  for  many  years  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Yale  Corporation,  beloved  by  every- 
body. 

CHOICE  OF  THE  MINISTRY 

During  senior  year  in  college  the  decision  was 
fully  reached  to  enter  the  ministry.  To  this  one 
thing  I  seemed  shut  up,  and  there  was  no  alterna- 
tive. Previous  to  entering  college  and  during 
much  of  the  college  course,  other  professions  had 
held  out  their  inducements,  but  now  they  had  lost 
all  their  attraction.     I  could  no  longer  think  of 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     13 

them  with  any  relish,  or  with  the  least  desire  to 
seek  them.  One  passion  possessed  my  heart  and 
soul — to  preach  the  Gospel.  No  other  pursuit 
seemed  worthy  of  my  ambition,  and  no  other  pro- 
fession appealed  to  my  reason  or  laid  hold  upon 
my  inmost  convictions.  The  thought  of  the  sa- 
cred ministry  was  the  only  thought  that  really 
satisfied  my  mind,  or  harmonized  either  with  my 
feelings  or  my  conscience. 

This  I  have  always  regarded  as  an  evidence  of 
my  divine  call  to  the  ministry.  I  had  no  heart 
for  anything  else.  Nothing  else  would  satisfy. 
"Woe  is  me  if  I  preach  not  the  Gospel." 

One  day  in  the  latter  part  of  senior  year,  out 
under  the  New  Haven  elms,  I  met  one  of  my  most 
zealous,  warm-hearted  Christian  classmates,  who 
said,  "Well,  Sam,  what  are  you  going  to  do  when 
you  get  through  college  *?"  The  reply  was  that 
I  had  decided  to  study  for  the  ministry.  "Why, 
bless  your  heart,  Sam,  if  any  Church  ever  gets 
you  for  a  pastor,  they'll  never  let  you  go  as  long 
as  you  live."  This  remark  was  accepted,  not  ex- 
actly as  a  prophecy,  but  as  a  kind  of  confirmation 
of  the  fact  that  I  had  made  no  mistake  in  the 
choice  of  my  calling. 

I  pursued  my  theological  studies  for  two  years 


14       Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

in  Union  Theological  Seminary,  New  York  City, 
and  a  third  year  at  Andover,  Mass.,  where  I  was 
graduated  in  August,  1863. 

During  these  delightful  years  of  preparation 
for  my  chosen  profession  I  enjoyed  the  sound  in- 
struction of  such  able  and  gifted  professors  as 
Edward  Robinson  (a  native  of  the  town  of  South- 
ington,  Conn.),  Thomas  H.  Skinner,  Henry  B. 
Smith,  Roswell  D.  Hitchcock  and  Henry  Had- 
ley,  at  Union  Seminary;  and  Edwards  A.  Park, 
Calvin  Stowe,  E.  P.  Barrows,  Austin  Phelps  and 
Philip  Schaff,  at  Andover. 

My  first  sermon  was  preached,  while  in  Union 
Theological  Seminary,  in  March,  1862,  at  the 
First  Street  Presbyterian  Church,  New  York  City. 
The  text  was  1  Kings  xix:i2.  My  second  ef- 
fort at  preaching  was  at  the  Broadway  Mission 
Church  in  May,  1862. 

My  official  license  to  preach,  however,  was 
granted  February  3,  1863,  by  the  Essex  South 
Association  at  Salem,  Mass. 

MY  FIRST  PASTORATE 

In  April,  1863,  four  months  previous  to  grad- 
uation at  Andover,  I  began  preaching  in  the  pul- 
pit of  the  venerable  "First  Church  in  Brookfield," 
known   as   the   Congregational   Church  of  West 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     15 

Brookiield,  Mass.  I  was  called  to  the  regular 
pastorate  of  the  same  church  the  following  March, 
and  was  ordained  and  installed  as  its  twelfth 
pastor  on  October  4,  1 864. 

The  previous  Autumn,  on  October  6j  1863,  was 
consummated  one  of  the  happiest  of  unions.  In 
the  person  of  Sarah  Maria  Clark  of  Harwinton, 
Litchfield  County,  Conn.,  God  gave  me  a  highly- 
cultured  and  devoted  Christian  wife,  who,  for 
more  than  thirty  years  thereafter,  proved  a  most 
efficient  and  faithful  helper  in  all  that  pertained 
to  my  work  as  pastor.  During  all  these  years  the 
service  she  rendered  was  beyond  all  praise,  and 
can  never  fade  from  my  memory. 

Here,  in  this  old  Brookfield  church,  were  spent 
seven  and  a  half  years  of  intense  and  earnest  la- 
bor which  I  count  among  the  happiest  and  most 
fruitful  years  of  my  ministry. 

SPIRITUAL  REFRESHINGS 

From  the  first  it  pleased  God  to  visit  us  with 
showers  of  spiritual  refreshing.  While  in  Yale 
College  I  had  passed  through  the  wonderful  re- 
vival scenes  of  1857-8,  the  most  wide-sweeping 
work  of  grace  of  the  last  century,  and  had  seen 
the  whole  moral  and  spiritual  tone  and  atmos- 
phere of  the  college  changed.     But  in  that  old 


16      Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

Massachusetts  parish  were  seen  some  of  the  most 
marked  manifestations  of  God's  pov/er  it  has  ever 
been  my  privilege  to  witness,  either  before  or 
since. 

For  thirty  years  previous  to  1864,  spite  of  some 
cheering  tokens  of  the  divine  blessing,  the  acces- 
sions to  the  Church  had  not  been  sufficient  to  re- 
pair the  yearly  waste  from  removals  and  deaths. 

The  spiritual  quickenings  had  not  been  of  suf- 
ficient extent  and  power  to  counteract  the  steady 
process  of  depletion.  The  cause  is  not  far  to 
seek. 

It  was  a  time  of  great  political  agitation  and 
factional  strife,  although  for  a  period  of  full  125 
years  (from  1717  to  1842)  the  Church  had  en- 
joyed almost  unbroken  harmony  and  peace.  To 
a  remarkable  degree  the  Church  and  community 
had  been  widely  known  as  a  united,  happy  and 
prosperous  people. 

But  about  the  year  1842,  the  Church  was  sadly 
rent  and  disturbed  by  the  bitter  anti-slavery  agi- 
tations of  that  stormy  time.  The  conflict  was 
something  fearful.  Fierce  antagonisms  were  en- 
gendered. The  more  conservative  wing  of  the 
church,  headed  by  a  strong-willed  and  not  over 
discreet  pastor,  openly  arrayed  against  an  earnest 
and  determined  minority  of  conscientious,  though 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     17 

excited  and  headstrong,  radicals  full  of  fight,  will 
fairly  indicate  the  threatening  and  painful  pos- 
ture of  affairs. 

The  strife  waxed  hot,  and  soon  became  bitter 
even  to  the  extreme  of  violence. 

It  is  not  strange,  therefore,  that  the  church 
which  had  so  long  been  distinguished  for  peace 
and  harmony,  and  had  often  been  characterized 
as  "the  best  congregation  in  the  country,"  now 
lapsed  into  spiritual  coldness,  and  entered  upon  a 
protracted  period  of  decline. 

As  in  many  other  churches  of  the  Common- 
wealth, it  was  a  time  of  spiritual  dearth.  Dur- 
ing a  period  of  more  than  seven  years  there  was 
not  a  single  addition  to  the  Church  on  Con- 
fession of  Faith. 

Feeling  was  intense,  prejudice  ran  high,  and 
the  fires  of  passion  were  let  loose  throughout  that 
whole  region.  In  many  quarters,  under  the  guise 
of  zeal  against  the  system  of  slavery,  a  bold  at- 
tack was  made  upon  the  sacred  institutions  of 
religion.  Conventions  professedly  called  in  the 
interests  of  anti-slavery,  partook  largely  of  the 
character  of  anti-Christian  assemblages. 

The  Bible  was  subjected  to  unfair  criticism; 
the  sanctity  of  the  Sabbath  was  called  in  ques- 
tion; the  church  grossly  slandered,  and  the  Chris- 


18      Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

tian     ministry     misrepresented     and     maligned. 

But  rancor  and  hatred  gradually  died  away, 
and  there  dawned  at  length  a  better  day  for  the 
cause  of  religion  in  that  community. 

Now,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  the  old  church 
took  on  new  life  and  power.  I  shall  never  cease 
to  praise  the  Lord  for  that  early  gracious  bap- 
tism of  the  Holy  Ghost  upon  the  very  beginnings 
of  my  ministry,  and  for  the  precious  privilege,  at 
the  first  communion  after  my  ordination,  Nov., 
1864, — my  first  administration  of  the  Lord's 
Supper — of  welcoming  twenty-five  persons  on 
confession  of  their  faith  in  Christ,  followed,  a 
little  later,  by  the  addition  of  many  others. 

A  MEMORABLE  YEAR 

But  the  year  1867  stands  out  in  memory  with 
especial  prominence  in  this  first  pastorate.  It  was 
a  year  long  to  be  remembered. 

A  revival  of  most  marked  and  manifest  power 
broke  out,  having  its  encouraging  beginnings  and 
signs  of  promise  in  the  increasing  fervor  and  spirit 
of  expectancy  on  the  part  of  the  people  just 
previous  to  the  Week  of  Prayer  in  January.  The 
interest  steadily  deepened  throughout  the  Winter, 
resulting  in  a  good  many  cases  of  conversion,  and 
culminated  about  the  middle  of  March  in  an  old- 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     19 

fashioned  "Protracted  Meeting"  of  three  days' 
duration,  conducted  by  the  pastor,  who  was  ably 
assisted  by  a  number  of  his  ministerial  brethren 
from  neighboring  towns  and  parishes. 

There  was  no  evangelist,  no  great  chorus  choir, 
no  professional  soloists,  no  so-called  ''Gospel 
Hymns,"  no  organized  body  of  trained  ushers 
and  personal  workers,  no  advertising  committee, 
no  press  committee,  or  reporters,  no  flaring  bulle- 
tins, no  cards  to  be  signed,  no  mechanical  meth- 
ods of  any  sort,  and  none  of  the  paraphernalia 
of  a  present  day  "Evangelistic  Meeting."  It 
was  bare  of  all  these  modern  attractions. 

But  the  spacious  edifice  was  daily  crowded 
with  eager  listeners.  There  was  devout  singing 
of  the  old  revival  hymns,  the  most  direct,  pun- 
gent preaching  of  the  Gospel  three  times  a  day — 
morning,  afternoon  and  evening — the  services 
generally  preceded  by  a  half  hour  of  earnest 
prayer,  and  followed  by  an  inquiry  meeting,  or 
by  some  opportunity  for  an  expression  of  interest. 
Added  to  all  this  the  most  extraordinary  personal 
efforts  were  put  forth  in  behalf  of  the  uncon- 
verted. It  was  a  memorable  week.  The  Spirit 
of  God  was  poured  out  mightily.  The  very  at- 
mosphere seemed  charged  as  with  some  electric 
energy.     You  could  not  but  feel  God's  presence. 


20      Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

Many  adults  as  well  as  young  people  became  anx- 
ious for  their  souls,  and  found  peace  at  the  Cross 
of  Christ. 

For  many  gracious  weeks  following  the  pro- 
tracted meeting  the  Spirit  of  God  continued  to 
move  powerfully  upon  the  community.  Among 
the  converts  were  many  who,  for  long  years,  had 
resisted  the  claims  of  Christ,  some  of  whom  had 
even  denied  the  truths  of  Revelation  and  were 
avowed  infidels.  A  number  of  the  leading  citi- 
zens of  the  town  were  soundly  converted,  and 
now  cast  their  influence  positively  on  the  side  of 
the  Christian  faith.  Religion  was  the  one  dom- 
inant theme. 

The  old  church  was  greatly  strengthened,  and 
the  whole  community  experienced  something  like 
a  spiritual  transformation. 

Just  previous  to  the  beginning  of  my  minis- 
try when  the  church  was  vacant  and  for  a  few 
months  following,  Boston  Unitarianism  had  per- 
sistently sought  to  gain  foothold  in  the  town. 
Their  preachers  maintained  Sabbath  services  in 
the  Town  Hall  for  some  time  with  a  view  to  the 
establishment  of  a  church  of  that  order.  But 
the  project  failed  completely,  and  to  this  day  foot- 
hold has  never  been  found  for  that  peculiar 
"ism."     There  was  no  longer  any  demand  for  it. 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     21 

There  was  in  fact  no  material  left  out  of  which 
to  make  a  Unitarian  Church.  Revivals  proved 
the  death-blow  of  the  movement. 

Arianism  was  relegated  to  the  third  century 
whence  it  sprang,  and  from  that  time  there  arose 
a  fresh  and  more  imperative  demand  for  Ortho- 
dox Trinitarianism,  with  a  divine  Christ  and  a 
divine  Savior. 

Until  it  shall  be  disproved  that  Jesus  is  the 
divine  Son  of  God,  himself  "Very  God,"  co- 
equal with  the  Father,  the  sole  Redeemer  of  man- 
kind, and  until  Christ's  "Cross  and  passion"  shall 
have  been  emptied  of  their  meaning  and  shall 
have  lost  their  power,  the  world  will  have  no 
pressing  need  of  any  prophecy  of  a  "New  Re- 
ligion." 

A  CHURCH  ONE  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY 
YEARS  OLD 

The  year  1867  was  remarkable  in  another  re- 
spect. In  the  Autumn  of  that  year  this  old,  his- 
toric church,  with  fitting  ceremonies,  commemo- 
rated the  one  hundred  and  fiftieth  anniversary  of 
its  founding.  The  date  of  the  observance, — 
which  proved  to  be  a  delightfully  balmy  In- 
dian summer  day — fell  on  October  16th,  the 
church     having     been     organized     October     16, 


22       Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

1717.  The  anniversary  was  celebrated  with  the 
greatest  enthusiasm,  and  proved  every  way  a 
notable  and  memorable  occasion.  It  drew  to- 
gether a  large  assemblage  from  a  wide  region 
of  country,  including  former  pastors,  minis- 
ters reared  in  the  parish,  prominent  men  in  the 
various  walks  of  life,  and  members  and  friends 
of  the  Church  from  far  and  near.  Congratu- 
latory letters  were  received  from  distinguished 
sons  of  the  Church,  and  from  the  Governor  of  the 
State,  his  excellency,  Hon.  Alex.  H.  Bullock. 

To  the  young  pastor  had  been  assigned  the 
formidable  task  of  collecting,  sifting  and  prepar- 
ing, at  immense  cost  of  time  anl  labor,  all  the  his- 
torical matter  covering  the  full  period  of  150 
years. 

The  history  of  such  a  church  is  as  entertaining 
as  a  book  of  travel,  and  as  fascinating  as  a  novel. 

The  preparation  involved  a  careful  and  thor- 
ough exploration  of  the  records  of  town,  parish 
and  church  for  the  entire  period,  and  a  critical 
examination  of  every  other  available  source  of  in- 
formation, besides  an  extensive  correspondence, 
in  order  that  all  dates,  names  and  facts  might  be 
accurately  verified. 

The  work  was  published  by  Samuel  Bowles 
and  Company,  Springfield,  Mass.,  and,  in  response 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     23 

to  numerous  requests,  found  a  place  on  the  shelves 
of  the  principal  libraries  of  New  England. 

It  embraced  the  history  and  results  of  all  the 
successive  pastorates  in  chronological  order,  un- 
der the  heading,  "  Pastors,  Pastorates  and  Con- 
nected History";  also  sketches  of  "The  Deacons 
of  the  Church,"  some  thirty  in  all,  among  them  a 
number  of  men  of  mark  and  public  prominence 
in  their  time;  a  history  of  "The  Houses  of  Wor- 
ship," reciting  the  fortunes  of  the  several  "Meet- 
ing Houses,"  with  their  various  enlargements  and 
improvements,  and  noting  the  fact  that  the  first 
meeting  house  erected  in  the  town,  sharing  the 
common  fate  of  the  little  settlement,  was  laid  in 
ashes  by  the  Indians  on  the  night  of  August  4th, 
1675. 

The  work  further  presents  biographical  sketches 
of  "Ministers  from  the  Church  and  Parish,"  in- 
cluding men  of  national  reputation  in  the  world 
of  letters,  education  and  other  lines  of  achieve- 
ment, not  the  least  honored  name  among  them 
being  that  of  the  eminent  Professor  Austin 
Phelps,  born  in  West  Brookfield  in  1820  during 
the  ten  years'  pastorate  of  his  father,  Rev.  Dr. 
Eliakim  Phelps.  Professor  Phelps  was  married 
in  1842  to  Elizabeth  Stuart,  oldest  daughter  of 
Professor  Moses  Stuart  of  Andover,  whence  the 


24      Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

name  of  that  gifted  daughter,  so  well  and  widely 
known  by  her  writings,  Elizabeth  Stuart  Phelps. 

Included,  also,  in  the  historical  review  is  an 
account  of  "The  Sabbath  School"  from  its  origin 
in  1817 — the  first  school  to  be  established  in  that 
part  of  Massachusetts,  and  one  of  the  earliest  in 
America.  It  was  started  against  strong  preju- 
dice, "with  a  load  of  odium  upon  it."  It  was 
deemed  an  unnecessary  innovation  and  encoun- 
tered bitter  opposition.  Some  efforts  of  the  kind 
had  been  attempted  in  Boston,  but  it  was  not 
considered  adapted  to  the  country  villages  at  all. 
It  was  regarded  as  a  sort  of  "literary  soup-house 
for  the  children  of  the  poor,"  and  that  only  in 
the  large  cities.  Good  Christian  people  were 
very  much  opposed  to  it  "as  a  desecration  of  the 
Sabbath,"  and  it  was  not  until  after  several  sea- 
sons of  successful  operation  that  prejudice  suffi- 
ciently wore  away  to  induce  some  even  of  the 
church  members  to  allow  their  children  to  at- 
tend. 

"Missionaries  and  Missionary  Spirit"  forms 
another  very  important  chapter  in  the  life  of  the 
old  church. 

Following  this  is  a  chapter  setting  forth  the 
church's  conspicuous  and  honorable  record  for 
"patriotism"   from  the  days   of  the  old  Conti- 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     25 

nental  Congress  and  the  Revolutionary  period 
down  to  the  stirring  scenes  and  events  of  the 
Civil  War. 

Both  ministers  and  churches  bore  no  insig- 
nificant part  in  that  great  and  decisive  conflict, 
as  well  as  in  the  exciting  events,  agitations  and 
heated  controversies  which  preceded  and  followed 
it. 

INFLUENCE  OF  PREACHERS  BEFORE  AND 
DURING  THE  CIVIL  WAR 

In  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  the  influence  of 
preachers,  everywhere  in  the  North,  was  made  to 
tell  mightily  on  the  side  of  the  Union.  It  is 
doubtful  what  might  have  been  the  fate  of  our 
Government,  or  of  our  armies  in  the  field,  had 
they  not  received  the  loyal  support  of  the  minis- 
try, and  had  not  the  patriot  heart  of  the  country 
been  continually  fired  by  the  eloquent  pleas  of 
the  pulpit. 

The  Broadway  Tabernacle  Church,  New  York, 
moved,  from  the  first,  with  the  spirit  of  Chas.  G. 
Finney,  was  among  the  foremost  in  its  opposition 
to  slavery.  Its  first  house  of  worship  at  Broad- 
way and  Worth  Street  was  destroyed  by  incen- 
diary slavery  sympathizers.  Its  second  site,  at 
Broadway  and  34th  Street,  gained  the  name  of 


26      Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

"Liberty  Corner.'*  On  a  single  Sunday  in  1864, 
$30,000  was  raised  to  equip  a  regiment  for  the 
Union  Army. 

In  relation,  also,  to  the  great  anti-slavery  move- 
ment of  ante-bellum  days,  the  clergy  bore  an  im- 
portant part.  Ministers,  North  and  South,  were 
engaged  in  the  sharp,  "irrepressible  conflict." 
Abolitionists  and  reformers  like  William  Lloyd 
Garrison,  Wendell  Phillips,  Gerrit  Smith,  Lucy 
Stone  (a  native  of  West  Brookfield,  Mass.,  and 
who,  as  Mrs.  Stanton  says,  ''first  really  stirred 
the  nation's  heart  on  the  subject  of  woman's 
wrongs"),  Harriet  Beecher  Stowe,  Henry  Ward 
Beecher,  and  many  more,  were  goading  the  min- 
istry on  to  take  the  side  of  the  oppressed  slave; 
while  conservative  ministers  and  churches  that 
were  suspected  of  pro-slavery  sentiment  and  did 
not  wheel  promptly  into  line,  were  lashed  and 
criticised  unmercifully. 

Nor  were  the  lines  invariably  drawn  between 
North  and  South  at  Mason  and  Dixon's  line. 
There  were  not  a  few  of  our  northern  preachers, 
who  either  espoused  the  pro-slavery  side,  and 
sought  to  defend  the  system  upon  Scriptural 
grounds,  or,  at  least,  did  not  take  an  open  stand 
against  the  system,  and  assumed,  rather,  the  atti- 
tude of  timid  or  silent  apologists. 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     27 

The  old  and  new  school  parties  in  the  Presby- 
terian Church  were  not  divided  on  strictly  theo- 
logical lines,  but  there  was  a  decided  cleavage 
on  questions  growing  out  of  the  heated  debates 
and  ecclesiastical  deliverances  of  the  two  schools 
respecting  the  institution  of  slavery.  This  per- 
petuated the  split  between  the  two  opposing 
bodies  for  more  than  thirty  years, — from  1837  to 
1870. 

When  I  entered  the  ministry  in  Massachusetts, 
in  1863, — right  in  the  midst  of  the  fiercest  strug- 
gles of  our  Civil  War,  the  flames  of  controversy 
had  not  yet  died  out,  the  tremendous  agitation 
had  not  yet  cooled  off.  The  burning  question 
out  of  which  the  war  sprung  was  the  question  of 
the  existence,  perpetuation  and  extension  of  Af- 
rican slavery.  And  that, — coupled  with  the  vital 
question  of  the  preservation  of  the  Union, — con- 
tinued to  be  the  burning  question,  until,  and  be- 
yond that  crucial,  historic  hour  when,  on  the  first 
day  of  January  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
sixty-three,  Abraham  Lincoln  rose  to  the  grandeur 
of  that  supreme  act  when  he  issued  the  Proclama- 
tion of  Emancipation,  and  invoked  upon  it  "the 
considerate  judgment  of  mankind,  and  the  gra- 
cious favor  of  Almighty  God." 


28       Retrospect  oj_  a  Happy  Ministry 

THE  MOTHER  OF  CHURCHES 

Going  back  to  the  early  years  of  the  eighteenth 
century  (1717),  we  find  this  old  First  Church  of 
Brookfield  to  be  the  real  Mother  of  Churches  in 
all  that  region.  In  the  midst  of  a  wilderness  still 
infested  with  wild  beasts  and  savages,  it  stood 
absolutely  isolated  and  alone  as  the  only  church 
in  all  that  part  of  the  country.  The  nearest 
neighbor  was  the  First  Church  ("Old  South"), 
Worcester,  Mass.,  organized  a  few  months  earlier 
in  1716. 

The  Indian  name  of  the  settlement  was  Qua- 
boag  until  1673,  when  it  became  a  township  and 
took  the  name  of  Brookfield.  Two  years  later 
(1675)  ^^  village  was  completely  wiped  out  by 
the  Indians  in  King  Philip's  War. 

From  the  first  settlement  of  the  place  in  1660 
some  sort  of  religious  services  had  been  maintained 
by  the  settlers,  the  hardy  sons  of  the  Pilgrims. 
But  the  incendiary  destruction  of  the  little  ham- 
let and  the  dispersion  of  its  inhabitants  delayed 
the  organization  of  the  church  for  many  years. 

On  the  day  that  the  church  was  formally  con- 
stituted Thomas  Cheney,  a  graduate  of  Harvard 
College  in  the  class  of  1711,  was  solemnly  or- 
dained its  first  pastor,  and  continued  in  that  re- 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     29 

lation  for  more  than  thirty  years  until  his  death 
in  1747. 

WHITEFIELD'S  NOTABLE  VISIT 

It  was  during  this  first  pastorate  that  this  coun- 
try was  visited  by  that  marvelous  work  of  grace, 
the  ''Great  Awakening"  of  1740.  Whitefield, 
then  less  than  twenty-six  years  of  age,  was  mak- 
ing his  second  visit  to  America,  and  his  first 
preaching  tour  through  New  England.  On  his 
way  from  Leicester  to  Northampton  to  pay  a  visit 
to  Jonathan  Edwards,  he  halted  for  a  night  in 
Brookfield,  and  before  leaving  preached  with  stir- 
ring effect  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  town.  Un- 
able to  gain  admission  to  the  "meeting-house"  be- 
cause of  the  press  of  the  people,  the  assembly 
withdrew  to  an  open  field  near  by,  and  listened 
to  the  fervid  and  moving  eloquence  of  the  youth- 
ful preacher.  The  rock  on  which  Mr.  White- 
field  stood  on  "Foster's  Hill"  during  the  delivery 
of  his  sermon  is  still  pointed  out  as  an  object  of 
peculiar  historic  interest. 

As  a  result  of  that  discourse  there  followed  a 
revival  in  which  the  pastor  took  an  active  part, 
and  the  church  received  a  large  accession  to  its 
membership. 

As  a  kind  of  connecting  link  with  the  earliest 


30       Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

settlers  of  Massachusetts  and  in  perpetuation  of 
the  spirit  and  faith  of  the  forefathers,  it  seemed 
only  appropriate  that  I  should  have  in  that  old 
church  as  senior  deacon  Mr.  Alfred  White,  a 
lineal  descendant,  in  the  fifth  generation,  of  Pere- 
grine White,  who  was  born  on  board  the  May- 
flower in  Cape  Cod  Harbor  November  20,  1620, 
— the  first  white  child  to  be  bom  in  New  Eng- 
land. During  my  pastorate  the  sixtieth  wedding 
anniversary  of  this  good  deacon  and  his  estimable 
wife  was  duly  celebrated  in  the  church.  A  sin- 
gular fact  that  came  to  light  on  this  happy  occa- 
sion was  that  the  aged  couple  had  never  passed  a 
night  outside  of  their  own  home  in  all  those  sixty 
years  since  their  wedding  day. 

FIRST  EUROPEAN  TOUR 

It  was  in  the  latter  part  of  this  first  pastorate, 
during  a  six  months  leave  of  absence  generously 
granted  by  the  people,  in  the  Autumn  and  Winter 
of  1 869-' 70,  that  we  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  our 
first  visit  to  Europe.  The  tour  included  Eng- 
land, France,  Belgium,  Holland,  the  Rhine  Coun- 
try, Germany,  Switzerland  and  Italy,  and  was 
full  of  rare  interest,  profit  and  pleasure.  Two 
months  were  spent  in  Italy  amid  its  exhaustless 
treasures  of  art  and  architecture,  its  cathedrals 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     31 

and  palaces,  its  galleries,  museums  and  studios, 
its  ancient  ruins  and  modern  villas.  Florence 
was  at  that  time  the  capital  with  King  Victor 
Emmanuel  on  the  throne.  Pope  Pius  IX  ruled 
at  the  Vatican. 

THE  VATICAN  COUNCIL  OF  1869-70  AND 

ITALIAN  UNITY.     A  SERIES  OF 

STARTLING  EVENTS 

It  was  our  good  fortune  to  be  present  at  St. 
Peter's  on  the  day  of  the  opening  of  the  great 
Ecumenical  Council,  December  8,  1869,  the  fa- 
mous council  that  proclaimed  the  dogma  of  Papal 
infallibility.  It  is  an  almost  startlingly  signifi- 
cant fact  of  divine  Providence  that,  in  the  stern 
logic  of  events,  the  Franco-Prussian  War  was  de- 
clared on  the  very  same  day  that  that  monstrous 
dogma  was  proclaimed  to  the  world.  This  dec- 
laration of  war  led  directly  to  the  withdrawal  of 
the  French  troops  stationed  at  Rome  for  the  pro- 
tection of  His  Holiness  the  Pope  and  the  guard- 
ing of  St.  Peter's  and  the  Vatican.  This  again 
proved  to  be  the  favorable  moment  for  Garibaldi 
and  Victor  Emmanuel  to  storm  the  gates  of  Rome 
and  to  enter  and  take  possession  of  the  city,  and 
make  it  thenceforth  the  capital  of  a  re-united 
Italy.     The  Papal  States  were  abolished,  and  the 


32      Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

capital  opened  up  to  Protestant  influences  and 
Protestant  worship  and  the  unhindered  circula- 
tion of  the  Word  of  God. 

At  the  time  of  our  visit  no  Protestant  house  of 
worship  existed  in  Rome,  and  not  a  Protestant 
religious  service  was  tolerated  within  the  city's 
walls.  For  the  public  worship  of  God  we  were 
obliged  to  go  outside  the  Porto  del  Popolo. 

But,  a  few  months  later  the  hour  of  triumph 
came,  and  Father  Gavazzi,  always  full  of  fire  and 
enthusiasm,  had  the  exquisite  joy  of  seeing  a  Bible 
Depository  opened  right  under  the  very  shadow 
of  St.  Peter's,  and  of  distributing  freely  with  his 
own  hand  copies  of  the  blessed  Book  from  the 
very  steps  of  the  great  cathedral.  A  short  time 
afterwards,  in  New  York  City,  we  were  thrilled 
with  Father  Gavazzi's  eloquence  as,  with  the  air 
and  mien  of  a  victor,  in  graphic  words  and  with 
violent  gesticulation  and  action,  he  depicted  the 
remarkable  scene  in  glaring  contrast  with  his  past 
experience  when  the  Bible  had  rested  under  the 
ban. 

Not  always  does  Lowell's  saying  hold  good, — 
*'Truth  forever  on  the  scaffold,  wrong  forever  on 
the  throne." 

Better  the  words  of  the  Apostle, — "For  we  can 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     33 

do  nothing  against  the  truth  but  for  the  truth." 
(2  Cor.  13:8.) 

Or  Gamaliel's  bold  challenge,  "If  this  counsel 
or  this  work  be  of  God,  ye  cannot  overthrow  it; 
lest  haply  ye  be  found  even  to  fight  against  God." 
(Acts  5:39.) 

"And  right  is  right,  since  God  is  God; 
And  right  the  day  must  win ; 
To  doubt  would  be  disloyalty, 
To  falter  would  be  sin." 

All  this  found  its  triumphant  verification  in 
the  rapid  succession  of  events  chronicled  above. 

From  this  our  first  tour  abroad  as  a  young  man, 
in  the  earlier  years  of  our  ministry,  we  brought 
back  a  rich  fund  of  experience  and  information 
which  has  proved  of  exceeding  value  and  a  never 
failing  source  of  enjoyment  and  delight  during 
all  the  subsequent  years. 

OLD  FIRST  CHURCH,  NORWALK,  CONN. 
FOUNDED  IN  1652 

The  following  Autumn,  in  November,  1870, 
having  accepted  an  invitation  from  the  old  First 
(Congregational)  Church  of  Nor  walk.  Conn.,  two 
happy  years  were  spent  in  that  large  and  impor- 
tant  field   as    acting  pastor.     They   were   years 


34       Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

marked  by  most  gratifying  growth  and  prosper- 
ity. This  has  long  been  one  of  the  strong  and  in- 
fluential churches  of  the  State,  and  ranks  among 
the  very  oldest  of  the  churches  of  New  England, 
having  been  organized  in  the  year  1652 — only 
thirty-two  years  after  the  landing  of  the  Pilgrims 
at  Plymouth  Rock.  The  250th  anniversary  of 
this  ancient  organization  was  celebrated  with  fit- 
ting ceremonies  in  the  year  1902.  Included 
among  the  members  of  the  large  congregation  dur- 
ing the  term  of  our  service  were  a  number  of  men 
of  especial  prominence.  The  Chief  Justice  of 
the  State  was  a  regular  attendant;  also  two  sons 
of  former  Governor  Bissell  and  their  families, 
and  United  States  Senator  O.  S.  Ferry  and  fam- 
ily, Mrs.  Ferry  being  a  daughter  of  Governor  Bis- 
sell. Lawyers,  physicians  and  retired  ministers 
were  much  in  evidence, — the  sort  of  a  congrega- 
tion to  put  a  young  preacher  on  his  mettle. 

THE  WEST  CHURCH,  BINGHAMTON 

But  our  retrospect  has  more  particular  refer- 
ence to  the  origin  and  history  of  the  West  Pres- 
byterian Church  of  Binghamton.  To  this  church 
has  been  given  by  far  the  larger  portion  of  our 
ministerial  life  and  labor,  covering  a  period  of 
nearly  thirty  years.     It  has  become  a  vital  part 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century    35 

of  our  own  life,  inseparably  connected  with  any 
review  or  even  thought  of  the  pleasant  years  of 
our  ministry. 

One  can  hardly  think  of  the  origin  and  feeble 
beginnings  of  the  West  Church  and  of  its  present 
commanding  position  and  influence  in  the  com- 
munity without  being  forcibly  reminded  of  the 
pertinent  words  of  Zechariah  in  Chapter  4:10, 
"Who  hath  despised  the  day  of  small  things'?" 

The  parallel  is  marked  and  not  without  its  in- 
structive lesson. 

Upon  Zerubbabel  as  head  of  the  tribe  of  Ju- 
dah,  at  the  period  of  their  return  from  the  Baby- 
lonish captivity,  devolved  the  great  work  of  re- 
building the  ruined  Temple. 

The  task  was  entered  upon  immediately  on  his 
arrival  in  Jerusalem. 

In  the  opinion  of  on-lookers  the  preparations 
made  were  insignificant  and  altogether  inadequate 
to  the  greatness  of  the  undertaking.  The  feeble 
and  unpromising  commencement  of  the  effort  ap- 
pears to  have  been  regarded  with  something  like 
popular  contempt. 

The  day  of  such  small  things  was  looked  upon 
as  simply  despicable. 

With  this  short-sighted  human  view  of  the 
matter,  however,  God's  estimate  of  the  enterprise 


36       Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

is  here  set  in  striking  contrast.  "For  those  seven 
eyes  of  Jehovah  which  run  to  and  fro  through 
the  whole  earth  rejoiced  when  they  saw  the  plum- 
met in  the  hand  of  Zerubbabel."  God  gloried  in 
that  which  men  scorned;  and  that  in  which  they 
saw  only  the  certainty  of  inglorious  failure, — in 
those  same  humble  beginnings  He  discerned  the 
promise  of  triumphant  success. 

"This  is  the  word  of  the  Lord  unto  Zerubbabel, 
saying,  Not  by  might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  my 
Spirit,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts.  Who  art  thou,  O 
great  mountain"?  before  Zerubbabel  thou  shalt  be- 
come a  plain;  and  he  shall  bring  forth  the  head- 
stone thereof  with  shoutings,  crying,  Grace,  grace 
unto  it."      (Zech.  4:6,  7.) 

PASSED  ITS  FORTY-FIRST  MILESTONE 

By  the  Providential  care  and  loving  favor  of 
Heaven  the  West  Presbyterian  Church  has  passed 
its  forty-first  golden  milestone. 

On  the  12th  day  of  February,  1873,  our  be- 
loved church,  by  the  grace  of  God,  started  out  on 
its  career  in  the  community  and  in  the  world. 
We  pause  a  while  to  glance  back  over  the  road 
we  have  traveled. 

To  those  of  us,  especially,  who  have  been  part 
and  parcel  of  the  enterprise  from  the  beginning. 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     37 

the  way  appears,  every  foot  of  it,  a  true  and  real 
''Via  Sacra" — a  way  hallowed  by  many  sacred 
scenes;  a  way  consecrated  by  many  holy  and  pre- 
cious memories;  a  pathway  baptized  with  prayer, 
and  bedewed  with  tears,  and  made  memorable  by 
many  a  self-denying  struggle;  years  rendered  for- 
ever dear  by  many  tender  ties  and  true  attach- 
ments and  friendships  not  soon  to  be  broken,  and 
sweet  and  sacred  fellowships  that  shall  last  to  all 
eternity. 

Turning  our  eyes  backward  for  a  brief  survey 
of  the  decades  now  closed,  and  contrasting  our 
condition  forty  years  ago  with  that  of  the  pres- 
ent time,  we  may,  with  some  appropriateness, 
adopt  the  language  of  the  prophet,  and  inquire, 
"Who  hath  despised  the  day  of  small  things'?" 

Who  is  he  that  shall  frown  now  upon  the  fee- 
bleness of  our  beginning,  or  ridicule  to-day  the 
undertaking  of  a  courageous  little  band  of  men 
and  women  more  than  forty  years  ago^ 

My  own  official  connection  and  personal  identi- 
fication with  the  history  of  this  church  from  its 
beginning  naturally  incline  me  to  shrink  from  the 
public  recital  of  our  few  and  simple  records,  lest 
it  may  savor  somewhat  the  appearance  of  a  chap- 
ter in  my  own  ministerial  and  personal  biography. 
But,  frankly  disclaiming  any  desire  to  thrust  my- 


38       Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

self  into  undue  prominence,  I  am  convinced,  upon 
due  reflection,  that  my  peculiar  relation  to  the 
church  as  its  first  pastor,  and  my  familiarity  with 
its  work  from  the  beginning,  ought  to  furnish  a 
special  reason  why  the  task  of  gathering  and  writ- 
ing out  its  earliest  records  should  devolve  upon 
me,  rather  than  upon  any  one  less  acquainted  with 
the  facts  connected  with  our  origin,  and  with  the 
annals  of  these  opening  years  of  our  church  life. 

EXCEEDING  INTEREST  AND  VALUE  OF 
EARLIEST  RECORDS 

Remembering  the  risk  we  run  of  losing  our 
church  records  altogether,  by  fire  or  other  acci- 
dent, it  has  forced  itself  upon  me  as  a  duty,  owed 
by  me  to  the  church,  to  prevent,  if  possible,  such 
a  disaster.  In  the  case  of  many  of  the  older 
churches  of  this  country,  their  early  records  were 
but  imperfectly  kept,  and,  where  they  were  kept 
more  fully,  in  not  a  few  instances  their  first  and 
most  valuable  records  have  been  destroyed  or  lost 
beyond  recovery.  In  the  early  days  of  our  coun- 
try's history,  the  exceeding  value  of  such  his- 
torical data  appears  to  have  been  little  appre- 
ciated. Consequently,  some  of  the  churches  in 
the  oldest  sections  of  the  country,  especially  in 
New  England,   are  now  unable  to  discover  the 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     39 

precise  date  even  of  their  formation,  and  periods 
embracing  many  years  of  their  history  must  be 
left  almost  an  entire  blank  by  the  historian. 
Could  those  pioneers  and  fathers  of  our  republic, 
who  builded  so  much  better  than  they  knew,  have 
but  foreseen  the  significance  of  their  acts,  and 
could  they  have  measured  the  value  and  far-reach- 
ing importance  of  the  foundations  they  were  then 
laying,  and  had  they  taken  a  little  more  pains 
to  preserve  and  transmit  the  humble  record  of 
their  doings,  we  should  to-day  be  far  richer  than 
we  are  in  the  materials  of  a  complete  ecclesiasti- 
cal history.  It  is  a  familiar  fact  that  mountains 
more  impress  us  with  their  magnitude  as  we  with- 
draw to  a  distance  from  them.  Similarly,  the 
events  of  history  grow  in  importance,  and  in  fas- 
cinating interest,  in  proportion  as  they  recede 
from  us  into  the  past.  Those  who  shall  enjoy 
the  good  fortune  to  be  living  and  acting  here  a 
hundred  years  hence,  or  half  a  century,  or  even  a 
quarter  of  a  century  from  this  day,  will  look  back 
upon  this  the  first  chapter  of  our  history  as  pos- 
sessing far  keener  interest,  and  as  freighted  with 
far  deeper  meaning  than  do  we  who  are,  at  pres- 
ent, the  actors  in  this  history. 

In  the  annals  of  churches,  as  of  individuals  and 
of  nations,  the  day  of  their  small  and  feeble  be- 


40       Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

ginnings  is  often  found  to  be,  in  reality,  the  day 
of  things  relatively  very  great  and  important  in 
their  bearing  and  influence  upon  all  subsequent 
growth.  The  time  is  surely  coming  when  it  will 
be  seen  that  the  most  vitally  important  period  of 
this  church's  life  and  growth  is  precisely  that 
which  now  comes  under  our  immediate  review. 
Not  so  much,  however,  because  of  the  greatness 
of  the  results  already  achieved,  as  by  reason  of  the 
significant  relation  of  those  results  to  all  the  future. 
Such  considerations  have  influenced  me  to  waive, 
for  the  time,  all  feelings  of  personal  delicacy,  in 
the  confident  belief  that  an  accurate  and  careful, 
and  even  a  somewhat  detailed  account  of  the  short 
period  of  our  history  will  not  be  without  interest 
to  those,  at  least,  who  shall  come  after  us.  If 
we  do  no  more  we  shall  at  least  succeed  in  earning 
the  gratitude  of  our  children  and  our  children's 
children  in  coming  generations. 

THE  INITIAL  MOVEMENT  CHECKED  BY 

THE  BURNING  OF  THE  NEW  EDIFICE 

OF  THE  FIRST  CHURCH 

About  the  year  i860  or  '61,  near  the  beginning 
of  Rev.  Dr.  Boardman's  pastorate  in  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  some  ten  years  previous 
to  the  organization  of  the  North  Presbyterian  So- 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     41 

ciety  in  the  northern  part  of  the  city,  a  movement 
was  set  on  foot  for  the  starting  of  a  Second  Pres- 
byterian Church  to  be  located  on  the  west  side 
of  the  Chenango  River.  Prominent  citizens,  then 
having  their  residence  on  this  side  the  river,  took 
an  active  interest  in  the  project,  and  the  sum  of 
$10,000  or  $12,000  was  subscribed  towards  the 
building  of  a  house  of  worship. 

But  the  enterprise  which,  from  the  first,  had 
met  with  little  favor  on  the  part  of  the  majority 
of  the  members  of  the  mother  church,  was,  finally, 
abandoned  when,  in  March,  1862,  the  new  edifice 
of  the  First  Church  was  destroyed  by  fire.  This 
calamity  was  felt  as  a  common  loss,  and  seemed 
to  call  loudly  for  a  union  of  all  the  members  in 
sustaining  the  burden  of  rebuilding.  The  mov- 
ers of  the  new  enterprise  were  constrained  to  be- 
stow their  means  and  energies  upon  the  erection 
of  the  present  noble  edifice  of  the  parent  society; 
and  so  the  project  of  a  Second  Presbyterian 
Church  was,  for  the  time,  relinquished. 

DELAYED  BY  THE  REMOVAL  OF  THE  CON- 
GREGATIONALISTS  TO  THE  WEST  SIDE 

In  the  year  following  (1863),  the  Congrega- 
tionalists  having  sold  their  old  house  on  Chenango 
Street, — the  building  long  known  thereafter  as 


42       Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

the  Academy  of  Music, — secured  their  present 
church  site  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Front 
Streets,  built  a  chapel,  and  located  on  the  west 
side  of  the  river.  This  action  for  a  long  time, 
apparently,  kept  at  rest  all  thought  of  establish- 
ing another  kindred  organization  in  the  western 
portion  of  the  city;  and,  for  ten  years  following, 
and  those  years  of  Binghamton's  most  rapid  in- 
crease in  population  up  to  that  date, — the  First 
Congregational  Church  enjoyed  the  sole  occu- 
pancy of  this  field.  Meantime,  the  North  Pres- 
byterian Church  had  been  formed  April  17, 
1870. 

But,  such  was  the  growth,  past  and  prospective, 
of  this  section  of  the  town,  and  so  considerable 
was  the  number  of  Presbyterian  families  residing 
west  of  the  river,  that,  early  in  1871,  it  was  felt 
that  the  time  had  arrived  to  move  in  the  matter 
of  the  formation  of  a  third  society. 

The  movement  assumed  definite  shape  May 
29th  of  that  year,  when  the  first  preliminary 
meeting  was  held  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  M.  L. 
Barnes,  No.  96  (now  124)  Oak  Street. 

Adjourned  meetings  were  also  held  at  the  same 
place  on  June  5th  and  12th  to  complete  arrange- 
ments for  the  organization,  at  the  former  of  which 
it  was  Resolved — "That  we  now  proceed  to  the 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     43 

formation    of    a    third    Presbyterian    society    in 
Binghamton." 

All  these  meetings,  as  the  written  records 
plainly  indicate,  were  characterized  by  careful  de- 
liberation, and  an  earnest  spirit  of  prayer  for  the 
divine  guidance. 

WEST  CHURCH  SOCIETY  ORGANIZED 

On  the  28th  of  June,  1871,  at  a  public  meet- 
ing legally  called,  and  held  at  the  house  of  Mr. 
Barnes,  the  West  Presbyterian  Society  was  for- 
mally organized,  and  a  board  of  trustees  elected. 
Two  or  three  of  the  trustees,  chosen  at  that  time, 
declining  to  serve,  their  places  were  subsequently 
filled  by  others,  and  the  full  original  board,  as 
finally  constituted,  was  made  up  of  the  six  fol- 
lowing members: — M.  L.  Barnes,  G.  W.  Bur- 
bank,  E.  F.  Matthews,  E.  B.  Barnes,  J.  H. 
Christopher,  and  E.  W.  Evans,  all  of  whom  are 
now  deceased.  James  W.  Manier  was  also  chosen 
as  the  first  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  society, 
and  retained  the  position  until  his  resignation  in 
January,  1875. 

A  building  lot,  of  large  dimensions,  situated  on 
North  Street,  was  purchased  of  John  Blanding 
July  21,  1871,  which  was  afterwards  enlarged  by 
the  purchase  of  other  smaller  lots  belonging  to 


44       Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Blinistry 

James  H.  Christopher, — the  cost  of  the  whole 
amounting  to  $5,000. 

On  the  22d  of  January,  1872,  a  building  com- 
mittee was  appointed,  consisting  of  James  W. 
Manier,  M.  L.  Barnes  and  George  W.  Burbank; 
and  in  the  following  August  ground  was  broken 
and  foundations  laid  for  a  large  brick  chapel. 
About  the  middle  of  November  in  the  same  year 
(1872),  the  writer, — at  that  time  of  Norwalk, 
Conn., — by  invitation  visited  Binghamton,  and 
met  the  people  socially  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Barnes. 
Included  in  the  gathering  were  not  only  those  di- 
rectly interested  in  the  new  enterprise,  but  also 
the  pastors  and  other  representatives  of  a  number 
of  the  city  churches. 

A  call  tendered  November  24,  1872,  at  a  salary 
of  $2,000  and  the  use  of  a  house,  was  formally 
accepted  November  29th.  On  the  first  day  of  the 
following  January  (1873),  his  labors  in  this  field 
were  begun. 

THE  CHAPEL  DEDICATED 

A  few  days  later  the  chapel  was  completed  at 
an  aggregate  cost,  for  lots  and  building,  with  its 
furniture,  of  about  $18,000.  The  impressive 
dedicatory  services  occurred  Thursday  evening, 
January  16,  1873.     Rev.  Charles  P.  Coit,  of  the 


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The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     45 

North  Presbyterian  Church,  read  the  Scriptures; 
Rev.  Dr.  Lyman  Wright,  pastor  of  the  First  Bap- 
tist Church,  offered  prayer ;  the  sermon  was  deliv- 
ered by  Rev.  J.  P.  Gulliver,  D.D.,  pastor  of  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church,  from  the  text.  Psalm 
132:1-5.  Rev.  D.  D.  Gregory,  Rev.  Sabin  Mc- 
Kinney,  and  Rev.  Dr.  Edward  Taylor,  pastor  of 
the  First  Congregational  Church,  made  brief  ad- 
dresses, and  the  prayer  of  dedication  was  offered 
by  the  pastor-elect.  The  singing  was  led  by 
Prof.  E.  S.  Frisbie,  afterwards  president  of  Wells 
College.  The  pulpit  and  platform  were  taste- 
fully decorated  for  the  occasion;  and  about  the 
audience  room  had  been  placed  several  Scriptural 
mottoes:  On  the  plain  wall  back  of  the  pulpit, 
"Looking  unto  Jesus" ;  at  the  opposite  end  of  the 
room,  "Faith,  Hope,  Charity" ;  on  the  sides,  "Je- 
hovah Nissi,"  "God  is  Love,"  and  "Come  unto 
Me";  in  the  vestibule  the  word  "welcome"  on 
the  wall,  and  the  same  on  the  door-mats  in  large, 
red  letters,  telling  what  has  ever  since  remained 
true,  and  we  trust  ever  will,  that  our  church  doors 
warmly  welcome  all  comers. 

On  the  evening  of  the  dedication  between 
$4,000  and  $5,000  were  raised  toward  liquidat- 
ing the  debt,  leaving  an  indebtedness  of  some 
$11,000. 


46       Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

The  original  chapel  was  spacious,  and  its  in- 
terior, though  plain,  was  pleasant  and  attractive. 
Including  the  transept  or  wing,  it  had  a  seating 
capacity  for  about  five  hundred  persons.  In  size 
it  much  exceeded  the  original  meeting  house  of 
the  First  Church,  which  was  occupied  for  a  dozen 
years,  from  1820  to  1832,  or  until  near  the  close 
of  Rev.  Mr.  Lockwood's  pastorate,  and  which 
Dr.  Boardman,  in  his  "Historical  Discourse," 
says,  "was  fifty  feet  in  length  by  forty  in  breadth, 
and  contained  sixty  pews,  affording  seats  for 
about  three  hundred  people."  It  was  of  but 
slightly  smaller  dimensions  than  that  old  edifice 
after  its  enlargement,  and  which  served  the  First 
Church  as  a  house  of  worship  down  to  1844  or 
1845,  until  its  second  enlargement  during  the 
ministry  of  Rev.  Mr.  Gregory. 

On  the  evening  following  the  dedication  (Fri- 
day, January  17th),  our  first  prayer  meeting  was 
held  in  the  lecture  room.  Thirty-seven  persons 
were  in  attendance  at  this  our  first  gathering  for 
social  worship  in  the  new  house.  Those  of  us 
who  were  privileged  to  be  present,  remember  it  as 
a  season  of  deep  and  delightful  interest,  the 
thankful,  joyous  spirit  of  which  is  well  pictured 
in  the  100th  Psalm,  which  was  read  at  that 
service. 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     47 

OUR  FIRST  SABBATH 

The  first  Sabbath  services  in  the  newly  dedi- 
cated chapel  were  held  January  19,  1873,  the 
opening  sermon  by  the  pastor-elect  being  founded 
upon  Psalm  127:1,  "Except  the  Lord  build  the 
house,  they  labour  in  vain  that  build  it;  except 
the  Lord  keep  the  city,  the  watchman  waketh  but 
in  vain." 

The  same  day,  at  the  close  of  morning  worship, 
the  Sabbath  School  was  organized,  the  interesting 
particulars  of  which,  elsewhere  given,  were  fur- 
nished by  Dr.  Geo.  F.  Hand,  its  first  superin- 
tendent (see  Appendix). 

The  week  following  was,  by  general  consent, 
observed  as  a  week  of  prayer,  a  meeting  being 
held  in  the  lecture  room  every  evening.  During 
the  remainder  of  the  Winter,  also,  frequent  meet- 
ings for  prayer  or  preaching  were  held  which  were 
attended  with  a  good  degree  of  religious  interest, 
and  resulted  in  a  considerable  number  of  hopeful 
conversions.  Indeed,  almost  from  the  day  of  the 
opening  of  our  chapel,  the  presence  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  was  manifest;  and  thus  God  set  His  mark 
of  favor  upon  our  undertaking. 

The  Articles  of  Faith  and  the  Covenant  to  be 
found  in  the  Church  Manual,  were  adopted  Feb- 


48      Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

ruary  lo,  1873.  At  the  same  time,  it  was  de- 
cided to  adopt  the  rotary  system  in  the  election 
of  church  officers,  and  a  list  of  officers  was  nomi- 
nated. 

ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  CHURCH 

On  Wednesday,  February  12,  1873,  the  church 
was  formally  organized  by  the  Presbytery  of 
Binghamton,  Rev.  D.  D.  Gregory  officiating  as 
moderator,  and  Rev.  W.  H.  Sawtelle,  of  Nine- 
veh, as  clerk. 

On  the  same  occasion  the  church  made  choice 
of  Isaac  A.  Finney,  M.  L.  Barnes,  and  G.  W. 
Burbank  as  elders,  and  of  E.  F.  Matthews,  E.  B. 
Barnes  and  J.  W.  Manier  as  deacons,  all  of  whom 
were  duly  inducted  into  office,  Mr.  Gregory  offer- 
ing the  prayer  of  ordination.  The  constituting 
prayer  was  offered  by  Rev.  Dr.  Gulliver,  and,  "in 
the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  great  Head 
of  the  Church,  and  by  the  authority  of  the  Pres- 
bytery, The  West  Presbyterian  Church  of  Bing- 
hamton" was  pronounced  and  declared  to  be 
regularly  organized  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

The  church  originally  consisted  of  sixty-five 
members, — twenty-three  males  and  forty-two  fe- 
males.    Fifty-three  were  from  the  First  Presby- 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     49 

terian  Church;  eleven  came  by  letter  from  other 
churches,  mostly  outside  of  the  city,  and  one  was 
admitted  upon  confession  of  faith.* 

INSTALLATION  OF  FIRST  PASTOR 

Rev.  Samuel  Dunham,  having  been  received  as 
a  member  of  Binghamton  Presbytery,  from  the 
Brookfield  Association  of  Massachusetts,  was  in- 
stalled the  first  pastor  Thursday  afternoon,  April 
24,  1873.  The  installation  sermon  was  preached 
by  Rev.  W.  E.  Knox,  D.D.,  of  Elmira,  from  the 
text  Luke  5 :5.  The  other  parts  of  the  service 
were  by  Rev.  Drs.  Gulliver  and  Taylor,  Rev. 
Messrs.  Peter  Lockwood,  D.  D.  Gregory,  C.  P. 
Coit,  and  Samuel  T.  Clarke,  of  Owego.  The 
house,  on  this  occasion,  was  beautifully  adorned 
with  evergreens  and  flowers. 

In  the  evening  a  social  gathering,  held  in  the 
chapel,  was  largely  attended,  and  was  enlivened 
with  music  and  brief  congratulatory  addresses. 

The  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper  was,  for 
the  first  time,  celebrated  by  us  as  a  church  in  the 
month  following  its  organization,  March  2d,  at 
which  time  there  was  an  accession  of  four  persons 
to  our  membership,  three  of  whom,  as  a  kind  of 
first  fruits  were  welcomed  upon  confession  of  their 

*  See  complete  list  of  their  names  in  the  appendix. 


50      Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

faith.  The  day  will  be  remembered  as  one  of 
tender  interest,  marking,  as  it  did,  the  occasion 
of  the  first  gathering  of  our  little  company  about 
the  table  of  our  Lord. 

Such  was  our  beginning.  We  have  dwelt  thus 
minutely  upon  the  preliminary  stages  of  our  en- 
terprise simply  because  they  were  beginnings, — 
the  vital  seeds  of  later  harvests;  the  foundations, 
we  trust,  of  many  generations  of  beneficent  influ- 
ence and  power  for  Christ  and  His  Truth.  But 
the  founding  and  permanent  establishment  of  a 
new  church  in  circumstances  like  ours  was  soon 
found  to  be  no  mere  pleasant  pastime. 

NO  HOLIDAY  PASTIME 

Let  it  not  be  inferred  that  our  career  has  been 
a  continuous  holiday.  On  the  contrary,  the  ear- 
liest chapters  of  our  history  were  made  only  by 
the  intensest  sort  of  determined  struggle  and  ef- 
fort, and  that,  like  Zerubbabel  and  his  feeble 
band  of  Jews,  in  the  teeth  of  formidable  diffi- 
culties and  discouragements. 

We  were  few  in  numbers;  our  families  were 
widely  scattered ;  with  few  exceptions  their  means 
were  very  limited;  we  were  brought  into  direct 
competition  with  strong  and  well  equipped 
churches;  for  years,  previous  to  the  extension  of 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     51 

Chapin  Street,  we  were  cut  off  from  Main  Street 
and  seemed  to  occupy  a  kind  of  isolated  position, 
unfavorable  to  our  growth;  moreover,  the  finan- 
cial collapse  in  the  early  Autumn  of  1873  over- 
took us  in  the  first  feebleness  of  our  infancy,  when 
we  were  scarcely  more  than  six  months  old,  and 
at  a  time  when  we  were  least  prepared  to  meet 
it;  worse  than  all,  a  feeling  of  discouragement — 
that  worst  foe  of  all  progress — at  length  took 
possession  of  the  hearts  of  many  of  our  people, 
insomuch  that  a  Zechariah  or  a  Haggai  was 
needed  to  sound  a  note  of  cheer,  and  to  utter  a 
prophecy  of  hope. 

HEROIC  DEBT  RAISING 

So  early  as  January,  1875,  it  was  found  that 
a  debt  of  some  $16,000 — the  chief  part  of  which 
was  the  balance  remaining  unpaid  at  the  time  of 
the  dedication — was  resting  as  a  heavy  burden, 
and  even  a  grim  menace,  upon  the  society.  The 
times  were  almost  unprecedentedly  hard,  and  this 
condition  of  things  was  long  continued. 

The  first  six  or  seven  years  following  the  or- 
ganization of  the  church  were  years  of  almost 
unexampled  business  depression  and  financial 
stringency  throughout  the  whole  country. 
Churches    everywhere    felt    the    severity    of    the 


52      Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

times;  very  many  of  them  were  under  the  neces- 
sity of  deep  retrenchment,  and  not  a  few  churches 
actually  went  down  beneath  their  pecuniary  bur- 
dens, and  became  extinct. 

The  outlook  for  this  church  in  1875  was  any- 
thing but  encouraging.  The  debt  was  felt  as  a 
serious  drawback,  crippling  our  usefulness,  hin- 
dering our  growth,  darkening  all  our  prospects, 
and  likely,  in  no  long  time,  to  carry  us  under 
unless  the  millstone  were,  by  some  means,  re- 
moved. 

The  trustees  seemed  almost  at  their  wits'  end, 
and  scarcely  knew  what  to  do.  But  the  pastor, 
on  coming  to  this  new  field,  had  erased  the  word 
''impossible''  from  his  dictionary. 

On  the  part  of  the  people  courage  and  deter- 
mination came  to  the  rescue.  God  gave  many 
of  the  members  of  this  church  a  noble  spirit  of 
self-sacrifice,  and  a  generous  liberality  not  un- 
worthy of  the  days  of  the  Apostles,  and  which 
would  bear  favorable  comparison  with  that  of  the 
churches  of  Macedonia.  "For  to  their  power,  I 
bare  record,  yea,  and  beyond  their  power,  they 
were  willing"  to  give  of  their  means  to  rescue  this 
beloved  church  from  danger  and  threatened  dis- 
aster. 

A  brave,  united  effort  to  remove  the  debt  was 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     53 

soon  determined  upon,  and  a  plan  of  procedure 
duly  concerted.  Following  a  sermon  by  the  pas- 
tor upon  "Sacrifice  the  Great  Law  of  Life,"  one 
stormy  Sabbath  morning  in  the  latter  part  of 
February,  pledges  were  received  on  the  spot,  and 
a  subscription  paper  started.  The  appeal  met 
with  a  most  generous  response.  With  splendid 
liberality  and  self-denying  devotion  to  the  wel- 
fare of  the  church,  the  entire  sum  was,  in  a  few 
days,  subscribed  and  pledged.  Of  the  whole 
amount,  about  $12,000  was  assumed  by  the  mem- 
bers of  our  own  congregation, — the  main  part  of 
it  on  the  morning  referred  to, — and  the  balance 
of  $4,000  was  generously  pledged  by  friends  in 
other  congregations  of  the  city.  The  spiritual 
prosperity  of  a  church  depends  so  vitally  upon  the 
prompt  and  liberal  spirit  with  which  its  pecuniary 
obligations  are  met  by  its  members,  that  I  cannot 
but  regard  that  action  of  the  society,  in  the  re- 
moval of  its  debt,  as  a  crisis  and  turning  point  in 
our  history.  It  was  God's  practical  test  of  the 
real  measure  and  quality  of  our  love  for  the 
Church,  and  for  the  Cause  of  Christ.  The  test 
was  well  and  nobly  borne;  many  of  us  under- 
stood the  meaning  of  self-sacrifice  as  never  be- 
fore; and  God  mercifully  granted  us  a  new  lease 
of  life. 


54      Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

This  happy  event  was  celebrated  by  a  "Jubilee 
Social,"  held  in  the  chapel,  on  which  occasion  we 
gave  fit  expression  to  the  deeper  feelings  of  our 
hearts  in  words  that,  for  a  long  time,  bent  like  a 
bright  bow  of  promise  over  our  platform,  and 
stood  as  a  reminder  of  God's  gracious  dealings 
toward  us,  viz. : — ''The  Lord  hath  done  great 
things  for  us;  whereof  we  are  glad.''  (Ps. 
126:3.) 

Those  who  have  joined  this  enterprise  in  more 
recent  years  cannot  possibly  appreciate,  to  any 
great  extent,  the  spirit  that  characterized  this 
movement  in  its  inception,  and  in  all  its  earliest 
years.  Nor  can  they  appreciate  the  sacrifices  that 
were  made  in  those  days,  the  labors  endured,  the 
zeal  displayed,  and  the  unbroken  love  and  unity 
that  prevailed  to  such  a  degree  as  to  make  this 
church  almost  proverbial  for  its  harmony  and  de- 
votion. 

It  was  immediately  after  this  debt  had  been 
removed  that  Rev.  O.  Parker,  the  evangelist, 
came  from  Buffalo,  and  assisted  the  pastor  for 
about  three  weeks  in  holding  a  series  of  daily 
meetings.  The  results,  though  not  great,  were 
such  as  might  be  held  to  justify  the  special  effort. 
It  may  be  mentioned  as  the  only  instance  during 
the  first  twenty-five  years  of  its  history  in  which 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     55 

the  church  called  in  outside  aid  in  any  protracted 
effort  to  reach  the  unconverted. 

A  little  later,  the  same  Spring  (1875),  through 
the  earnest  efforts  and  generous  contributions  of 
some  of  our  good  women,  our  church  bell  was 
procured  at  a  cost  of  $500,  and  hung  in  a  tem- 
porary wooden  tower  at  the  rear  of  the  chapel, 
where  it  did  duty  for  a  dozen  years,  until  honored 
with  its  more  conspicuous  place  in  our  solid 
church  tower.  It  rang  out  its  first  call  to  Sab- 
bath worship  May  9,  1875,  ^^  which  time  the 
pastor  preached  a  sermon  on  the  ''Origin,  History 
and  Uses  of  Church  Bells." 

TRIBUTE  TO  THE  WOMEN 

It  comes  in  nicely,  in  this  connection,  to  ac- 
knowledge our  indebtedness  to  the  women  of  this 
church.  In  all  the  hard  work  of  this  church  and 
society,  from  the  very  first,  our  wives  and  daugh- 
ters and  sisters  have  proved  themselves  most  ef- 
ficient allies  and  helpers.  Indeed,  without  their 
aid,  it  is  difficult  to  see  how  our  church  could 
ever  have  been  tided  over  the  years  of  its  severest 
struggles. 

A  succinct  account  of  their  work,  as  furnished 
me  by  the  late  lamented  Mrs.  M.  L.  Barnes,  will 
give  some  clear  idea  of  the  value  of  the  services 


5Q      Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

rendered  to  the  church  by  the  Ladies'  Industrial 
Society.      (See  Appendix.) 

It  is  a  most  gratifying  record,  such  as  fairly  to 
entitle  our  women  to  the  sincere  gratitude  of  this 
church,  and  of  its  pastor.  Many  of  our  women, 
during  this  series  of  years,  have  been  actively 
connected  with  this  society,  and  have  had  a  hand 
in  this  good  work,  and,  personally,  I  am  thankful 
to  them  all  for  their  always  hearty  cooperation 
and  aid. 

Were  it  in  place,  I  would  venture  modestly  to 
refer  in  terms  of  most  tender  appreciation  to  one 
woman, — "model  pastor's  wife"  that  she  was  and 
was  called  throughout  this  city, — who,  during  the 
first  twenty  years  of  my  Binghamton  pastorate, 
as  in  all  the  previous  years  of  my  ministry,  was 
to  me  as  a  perpetual  tower  of  strength.  I  know 
that  the  people  all  loved  her,  nor  did  they  fail  to 
appreciate  the  services  she  rendered  both  to  me 
and  to  the  church  by  her  incessant  labors.  But 
I  question  whether  any  of  us  ever  can  fully  real- 
ize the  depth  of  her  unselfish  love  and  devotion, 
or  the  extent  and  variety  of  her  almost  too  un- 
sparing and  self -forgetful  efforts  for  the  good  of 
this  people  and  of  the  community. 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     57 

CHURCH  BUILDING  ENLARGED 

In  the  Fall  and  Winter  of  i885-'86,  extensive 
improvements  were  made  in  our  house  of  worship, 
under  the  supervision  of  James  M.  Stone,  H.  J. 
Gaylord  and  Dr.  Geo.  F.  Hand,  as  building  com- 
mittee. The  church  edifice  was  extended  both 
front  and  rear,  a  substantial  tower  erected,  an 
organ-recess  built,  and  supplied  with  a  pipe  or- 
gan; a  library  room  and  pastor's  room  added; 
a  deep  gallery  thrown  across  the  end,  and  seated 
with  opera  chairs ;  a  new  wood  ceiling  put  in,  the 
walls  frescoed,  the  lecture  room  renovated,  new 
stained  glass  windows  and  transoms  placed 
throughout  the  whole  building,  the  carpets,  the 
cushions,  the  platform,  the  pulpit  and  its  furni- 
ture all  renewed,  new  chandelier  and  gas  fixtures 
introduced,  and  other  changes  made,  such  as  to 
wholly  transform  both  the  interior  and  the  ex- 
terior appearance,  and  render  our  sanctuary  more 
commodious,  and,  every  way,  more  attractive. 
The  cost  of  the  entire  improvement  was  about 
$8,500,  all  of  which  was  met  by  subscription. 

During  the  seven  or  eight  months  occupied  in 
the  work  of  reconstruction,  our  Sabbath  services 
were  interrupted,  and  our  Sunday  School  met  in 
the  hall  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion on  Court  Street. 


58       Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

RE-DEDICATION 

On  Tuesday  evening,  March  23,  1886,  the  re- 
modeled house  was  re-dedicated  with  appropriate 
services,  in  which  a  number  of  the  city  pastors, 
of  different  denominations,  took  part. 

That  event  marks  the  beginning  of  an  impor- 
tant change  in  our  prospects,  and  in  the  rapidity 
of  our  growth. 

PASTOR'S    RESIGNATION    RECONSIDERED 
AND  WITHDRAWN 

Immediately  following  upon  the  completion 
and  dedication  of  that  house,  the  pastor,  having 
conceived  the  idea  that,  possibly,  his  mission  to 
this  church,  after  thirteen  years  of  hard  labor, 
was  accomplished,  presented  his  resignation,  fully 
intending  to  lay  down  the  pastoral  office.  But, 
a  kind  Providence  and  a  loving  people  determined 
otherwise.  By  unanimous  vote  of  the  congrega- 
tion, accompanied  by  resolutions  of  confidence 
and  warm  expressions  of  esteem,  pledging,  also, 
renewed  codperation  and  support,  together  with 
many  personal  dissuasions,  deprecating  the  pas- 
tor's action,  he  was  led  to  reconsider,  and  at 
length,  3aelding  to  the  judgment  of  the  people, 
the  resignation  was  withdrawn. 

The  wisdom  of  that  course  I  have  never  since, 


THE    CHURCH    REMODELED    AND 
ENLARGED. 

Re-dedicated    March    23,    1886. 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     59 

for  a  moment,  questioned.  That  God's  hand  was 
in  it  all  I  cannot  doubt.  It  was  but  another  of 
those  trying  crises  in  our  history  from  which,  to- 
day, we  date  a  greatly  increased  prosperity. 

RENEWED  ACTIVITY  AND  GROWTH 

The  years  immediately  following  the  occupa- 
tion of  our  enlarged  house  of  worship  (in  March, 
1886)  were  years  of  remarkable  activity  and  of 
almost  continuous  revival.  Without  any  outside 
human  aid  whatever,  the  progress  of  the  church 
was  greatly  accelerated;  the  congregations  were 
materially  enlarged  and  soon  taxed  the  capacity 
of  the  house ;  the  Sunday  School  rapidly  increased 
in  membership;  young  people  were  much  in  evi- 
dence in  the  congregation;  the  Young  People's 
Society  of  Christian  Endeavor,  organized  June 
28,  1887,  became  an  efficient  promoter  of  the 
church's  spiritual  welfare;  the  church  prayer- 
meetings  receiving  the  new  impulse,  were  much 
increased  both  in  attendance  and  interest ;  conver- 
sions were  frequent  and  the  accessions  to  the 
church  numerous. 

All  departments  of  the  church's  activities  were 
in  a  delightfully  healthful  and  flourishing  condi- 
tion. 

It  was  a  period  of  refreshing  spiritual  life  and 


60      Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

movement,  and  of  marked  and  manifest  prosper- 
ity for  the  whole  enterprise,  the  good  effects  of 
which  are  still  apparent. 

It  brought  renewed  strength,  courage  and  hope- 
to  the  heart  of  pastor  and  people,  and  served  to 
unify  and  consolidate  the  forces  of  the  church  for 
further  aggressive  effort  in  all  the  years  follow- 
ing. 

DELIGHTFUL  ORIENTAL  TOUR.    AN 
IDEAL  PARTY 

It  should  here  be  said  that  for  the  five  months, 
from  March  to  August,  in  the  year  1890,  the  pas- 
tor was  kindly  granted  a  leave  of  absence,  in  or- 
der to  make  the  tour  of  Egypt,  the  Holy  Land, 
Syria,  Asia  Minor,  Greece,  and  other  countries, 
the  people,  meantime,  continuing  his  salary  and 
supplying  the  pulpit.  During  that  period  the 
pulpit  was  ably  and  acceptably  filled  by  the  late 
Rev.  William  A.  Niles,  D.  D.,  formerly  of  Hor- 
nellsville,  N.  Y. 

This  was  a  memorable  tour  in  company  with 
a  select  party  of  men  and  women  of  congenial 
tastes  gathered  without  special  prearrangement 
from  widely  separated  regions,  but  all  inspired 
with  a  like  serious  purpose  to  gain  as  much  val- 
uable information  as  possible.  A  party  more 
harmoniously  united  or  more  agreeably  associated 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     61 

in  intimate  daily  fellowship,  it  is  quite  safe  to 
say,  never  traveled  together. 

The  company  comprised,  among  others,  Judge 
S.  O.  Thacher  and  wife,  of  Lawrence,  Kansas — 
the  Judge  a  genial,  companionable  soul,  highly 
cultivated  and  extensively  traveled;  Rev.  Dr.  J. 
M.  P.  Otts,  of  Alabama,  a  Presbyterian  divine 
of  some  note  both  in  the  Northern  and  the  South- 
ern Church,  was  our  tent-mate  throughout  our 
whole  camping  tour  in  Palestine.  Rev.  Oliver 
Crane,  D.  D.,  LL.D.,  formerly  missionary  in 
Turkey,  was  the  oldest  member  of  our  party. 
With  him  was  his  son,  Oliver  T.  Crane,  a  young 
lawyer  who  had  been  spending  some  time  in  the 
study  of  Arabic  at  Beirut.  Then  we  found  a 
choice  friend  in  the  Rev.  Dr.  Robert  MacKenzie, 
at  that  time  pastor  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church,  San  Francisco,  now  of  New  York  City, 
who  was  accompanied  by  Mrs.  MacKenzie. 

Rev.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Stephen  W.  Dana,  of  Phil- 
adelphia, joined  us  at  Jerusalem,  and  Rev.  Mr. 
McQueen,  of  Scotland,  became  a  member  of  our 
party  at  Cairo. 

To  these  must  be  added  Rev.  Mr.  Atkinson,  of 
Lincoln,  Nebraska;  Rev.  Mr.  Swindells,  of  Phil- 
adelphia, who  used  to  lead  the  singing  at  our 
nightly  devotions  while  in  camp;  Mrs.  Boyd  and 


62       Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

daughters,  of  Philadelphia,  and  Miss  Cunning- 
ham, of  Baltimore. 

It  is  said  that  Mr.  Spurgeon  could  never  be  in- 
duced to  visit  the  Holy  Land  lest  the  country  in 
its  present  lamentable  condition  might  lose  for 
him  something  of  the  charm  with  which  he  had 
been  wont  to  invest  it. 

Undoubtedly  to  one  who  witnesses  the  present 
ruins  and  desolations  of  that  land  and  comes  in 
contact  with  the  abject  poverty  and  degradation 
of  its  people  under  Turkish  rule,  many  of  its 
scenes  will,  in  large  measure,  be  stripped  of  their 
fascination. 

Nevertheless,  despite  this,  one  cannot  but  re- 
gard a  personal  visit  to  the  places  once  trodden 
by  the  Savior's  feet,  and  rendered  forever  sacred 
by  association  with  the  person  and  work,  the 
miracles  and  ministry  of  the  Son  of  God,  as 
among  the  most  precious  privileges  of  a  life- 
time. 

A  MIRACULOUS  DELIVERANCE 

The  only  event  seriously  to  mar  the  pleasure 
of  the  journey  was  a  painful  accident  which 
threatened  suddenly  to  terminate  our  travels,  and 
in  which  we  came  near  losing  our  life  by  being 
violently   hurled    from    our    stumbling   Arabian 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     63 

horse  upon  the  jagged  rocks  in  the  mountains  of 
Judea  on  our  way  down  from  Mar  Saba  to  the 
Dead  Sea  and  the  Jordan.  Rolla  Floyd — the 
veteran  dragoman — said  to  us  at  Jerusalem, — 
"It  was  a  miracle  that  you  were  not  killed." 

That  night  (April  ii,  1890),  encamped  beside 
"Elisha's  Fountain"  near  to  Jericho,  the  Psalm 
read  at  our  evening  devotions  was  appropriately, 
at  our  suggestion,  the  one  that  had  been  running 
in  our  mind  all  through  the  day, — Psalm  103d, 
"Bless  the  Lord,  O  My  Soul,"  etc.,  and  the  pre- 
vailing note  of  our  entire  company  was  one  of 
devout  thanksgiving  to  God  for  a  marvelous  de- 
liverance. 

But,  notwithstanding  this  mishap  and  the  nar- 
row escape  experienced,  the  memory  of  that  Ori- 
ental tour  is  treasured  among  the  most  delightful 
recollections  of  all  the  years  of  our  ministry. 

WITH  FOREIGN  MISSIONARIES  ON  THEIR 
FIELDS  AND  IN  THEIR  HOMES 

It  was  a  great  privilege  and  inspiration  to  come 
into  personal  touch  with  a  number  of  our  devoted 
foreign  missionaries  upon  their  own  fields  of  labor 
and  in  their  own  homes,  as  for  example,  the  Jes- 
sups  and  others  in  Beirut,  our  own  Miss  La 
Grange  at  Tripoli,  Syria,  as  also  the  self-denying 


64      Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

laborers  at  Cairo,  Damascus,  Constantinople  and 
elsewhere.  One  could  not  but  be  impressed  that 
these  faithful  men  and  women  on  those  distant 
mission  fields  are  doing  a  work  for  the  education, 
enlightenment  and  Christianization  of  the  people 
of  those  far-off  lands  that  is  beyond  all  estimate 
in  its  vital  influence  upon  the  present  and  coming 
generations. 

Going  from  Egypt  to  Syria  and  Turkey  one 
could  not  but  contrast  the  old  Mohammedan  Uni- 
versity of  Cairo,  educating  its  thousands  of  stu- 
dents to  propagate  the  Moslem  faith,  with  Robert 
College  at  Constantinople  and  the  Syrian  Prot- 
estant College  and  the  busy  printing  presses  at 
Beirut  in  their  positive  and  powerful  influence 
upon  the  religious  life  of  the  world. 

The  whole  trip  was  full  of  inspiration  and 
helpful  suggestion;  and  upon  our  return  home,  a 
series  of  Sunday  evening  addresses  and  occasional 
morning  discourses  were  delivered  descriptive  of 
the  scenes  visited,  or  upon  special  themes  sug- 
gested by  the  long  journey. 

THE  FREE  PEW  PROBLEM 

For  the  first  twenty  years  of  our  church  life  the 
custom  prevailed  of  annually  renting  the  pews 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     65 

in  the  house  of  God.  The  question  of  a  change 
in  this  respect  had  often  been  raised  but  not  seri- 
ously considered,  and  no  formal  action  thereon 
was  taken  until  1893.  In  the  latter  part  of  that 
year  a  resolution  was  brought  before  the  Society 
distinctly  favoring  the  adoption  of  the  plan  of 
free  pews. 

The  project  at  first  met  with  considerable  oppo- 
sition. In  the  interest  of  harmony  and  for  the 
sake  of  a  better  understanding  of  the  real  points  at 
issue,  the  pastor  felt  called  upon,  during  the 
pending  of  the  said  resolution,  to  preach  a  sermon 
from  James  2:2-4,  upon  ''A  Free  Gospel  and  a 
Free  Church; — A  Calm  View  of  the  Question  of 
Free  Pews"  We  undertook  to  set  fairly  before 
the  people  the  comparative  advantages  and  disad- 
vantages of  each  plan,  but  on  many  grounds 
earnestly  advocated  the  adoption  of  the  free  pew 
system.  A  few  days  later  the  plan  was  adopted 
with  a  good  degree  of  unanimity,  and  at  the  be- 
ginning of  1894  was  carried  into  effect  with  the 
most  happy  results. 

As  a  means  of  raising  revenue  it  has  proved  far 
superior  to  the  rental  system.  For  various  other 
reasons,  also,  the  plan  has  given  general  satisfac- 
tion, and  is  to  be  commended  above  all  others  as 


66       Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

more  nearly  in  accord  with  the  teachings  and  spirit 
of  the  New  Testament  and  with  the  whole  genius 
of  Christianity. 

In  May,  1893,  a  convenient  and  commodious 
parsonage  was  completed  and  occupied  by  the 
pastor  and  his  family. 

IN  MEMORIAM 

The  year  1894  deserves  a  separate  chapter  by 
itself.  In  the  domestic  life  of  the  pastor,  and  in 
the  painful  experience  of  his  beloved  people  as 
well,  that  year  must  ever  stand  out  prominently 
as  one  never  to  be  forgotten. 

In  April  of  that  year  the  last  golden  link  in 
the  family  chain  was  shattered  when  the  faithful 
and  beloved  wife,  following  her  four  children, 
"fell  on  sleep."  But  we  refrain  from  details. 
We  only  bow  in  silence.  Her  beautiful  record 
is  on  high,  and  the  sweet  aroma  of  her  blessed  in- 
fluence abides  in  everlasting  fragrance.  The  lit- 
tle booklet,  "In  Memoriam — Mrs.  Samuel  Dun- 
ham," prepared  with  aching  heart  and  amid  blind- 
ing tears,  tells  the  fuller  story,  and  is  rich  in  ten- 
der tributes  and  in  the  treasures  of  overflowing 
sympathy  and  affection.* 

Among  the  most  precious  memories  of  life  are 
the  gentle  and  loving  ministries  of  a  tenderly  de- 

*  See  also  "Biographical  Review"  of  Broome  County,  pp.  342-3. 


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The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     67 

voted  people,  and  the  outgushing  sympathy  of  a 
host  of  friends  during  those  dark  days  and  months 
of  grief,  mystery  and  shadow. 

CHURCH  ANNIVERSARIES 

The  anniversaries  of  the  church  have,  as  a  rule, 
been  annually  observed  with  some  fitting  services, 
including  an  anniversary  sermon  each  year  by  the 
pastor. 

Every  five  years  especially  these  occasions  have 
been  marked  by  features  of  peculiar  interest. 

The  5th,  10th,  15th,  20th  and  25th  anniver- 
saries were  thus  appropriately  commemorated. 

FIFTH  ANNIVERSARY 

The  end  of  the  first  five  year  period  furnished 
opportunity  for  a  thankful  survey  of  the  years 
of  severest  struggle  and  sacrifice  in  laying  the 
foundations  of  the  new  enterprise  and  in  estab- 
lishing the  church  upon  a  firm  basis. 

On  this  occasion,  besides  the  special  sermon  in 
review  of  the  period,  the  pastor  sought  to  voice 
the  sentiment  of  the  people  as  well  as  the  feeling 
of  his  own  devoutly  thankful  heart  in  the  strains 
of  a  hymn,  which  was  sung  by  the  congregation 
on  Sunday  morning,  February  10th,  1878.  The 
simple  lines  ran  thus: 


68       Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

God  of  these  five  fast  fleeting  years ! 

To  Thee  we  look  to-day ; 
Grateful  we  own  Thy  fost'ring  care, 

Love's  tribute  dear  we  pay. 

Praises  our  thankful  hearts  inspire, 
Hosannas  loose  our  tongues. 

Lips  touched  with  heavenly  light  and  fire 
Breathe  joy  in  all  our  songs. 

To  God,  the  Father  of  our  life. 
To  Christ,  the  Father's  Son, 

To  Holy  Ghost,  the  God-Man's  gift. 
The  blessed  three  in  One; 

For  happy,  sun-lit  days  we've  spent. 

For  toils  and  trials  o'er, 
For  all  the  countless  blessings  lent. 

Be  praise  forevermore. 

Pardon  we  crave  for  sinful  lives. 
Pardon  for  faithless  hearts, 

Pardon  for  wasted  golden  hours, 
And  poorly  acted  parts. 

Head  of  the  Church,  most  glorious ! 

Pour  on  us  from  above 
Thy  Spirit's  power  victorious. 

To  knit  our  souls  in  love ; 

To  conquer  all  our  inbred  pride, 

To  cure  our  love  of  pelf. 
To  draw  us  near  the  Crucified, 

To  drive  us  far  from  self. 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Centtiry     69 

On  this  Thy  Church,  O  Power  divine ! 

Let  blessings  constant  come ; 
Thou  Light  of  Life !  upon  us  shine, 

Till  safe  we  reach  our  Home. 

TWENTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

But  when  we  had  rounded  out  successfully  and 
with  steadily  increasing  strength  a  full  score  of 
years,  it  was  felt  that  the  event  ought  to  be  cele- 
brated with  somewhat  more  elaborate  ceremonies, 
and  with  services  of  unusual  significance. 

In  sending  out  printed  notices  of  the  proposed 
observance,  inviting  the  people  to  participate  in 
the  celebration,  the  pastor  appended  the  follow- 
ing note : 

"BiNGHAMTON,    N.    Y., 

"February  4,   1893. 
''My  Dear  People — 

''Your  Pastor  takes  this  occasion  to  send  af- 
fectionate greeting  to  all  the  members  of  his  flock. 
He,  all  the  more,  desires  to  see  and  greet  you  in 
the  House  of  God  each  Sabbath  and  at  the  week- 
day meetings,  for  the  reason  that  unavoidable 
circumstances  have,  of  late,  prevented  his  seeing 
you  as  often  as  he  could  wish  in  your  own  homes. 
He  wishes  to  assure  each  member  of  the  congre- 
gation and  of  the  Sunday  School  of  his  personal 
interest  and  love,  and  of  his  constant  prayers  in 


70      Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

your  behalf.  Sensible  of  many  kindnesses  re- 
ceived by  himself  and  his  family  during  all  these 
years,  and  keenly  sharing  both  your  joys  and  sor- 
rows, he  hardly  needs  to  say  that  every  home  of 
the  people  has  become  endeared  to  him,  and  that 
he  feels  bound  to  each  by  the  tenderest  of  ties. 

"  'Even  as  a  nurse  cherisheth  her  children:  So 
being  affectionately  desirous  of  you,  we  were  will- 
ing to  have  imparted  unto  you,  not  the  gospel  of 
God  only,  but  also  our  own  souls,  because  ye  were 
dear  unto  us.'     (I  Thess.  2  ly,  8.) 

"Sincerely  yours, 

''Samuel  Dunham." 

A  memorable  day  in  the  history  of  the  West 
Church  was  Sunday,  February  I2th,  1893.  The 
skies  kindly  smiled  upon  our  twentieth  anniver- 
sary.    Brighter  Winter's  day  was  seldom  seen. 

Early  the  tribes  began  to  assemble,  and,  at  the 
appointed  hour  of  worship,  the  church, — both 
floor  and  gallery — was  filled  to  its  utmost  capac- 
ity. Plants  and  flowers  in  profusion  lent  their 
charms.  Calla  lilies  and  roses  vied  with  each 
other  in  beautifying  pulpit  and  platform,  and 
their  surroundings.  The  few  surviving  original 
members  present  looked  eager  with  interest,  and 
all  seemed  happy.     The  old  Doxology  rang  out 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     71 

with  unusual  volume  of  melodious  sound.     The 
congregation  joined  in  singing, 

"Let   saints   below   in   concert   sing 
With  those  to  glory  gone." 

The  Scripture  lesson  read  was  i  Thessalonians, 
2nd  chapter,  followed  by  the  Gloria  Patri. 
Psalms  125  and  126  of  the  Psalter  were  read  re- 
sponsively,  and  prayer  was  offered  by  the  pastor. 
The  choir  rendered  an  inspiring  anthem  while  the 
offerings  were  being  gathered,  and  then  the  whole 
assembly  united  in  singing  the  following  anni- 
versary hymn  written  for  the  occasion  by  the  pas- 
tor: 

Eternal  God !  whose  endless  plan, 
Makes  years  seem  days,  our  life  a  span ; 
Oh  Thou,  beneath  whose  watchful  care. 
Each  child  of  Grace  is  Glory's  heir; 
With  humble  thanks  assembled  now, 
We  pay  our  praise,  record  our  vow. 

The  past  all  crowned  and  gilded  bright, 

The  present  filled  with  holy  light, 

The  future  set  with  gems  and  gold. 

With  promise  rich,  and  grace  untold. 

To  Thee  we  lift  our  waiting  eyes. 

For  help  ne'er  brought  save  from  the  skies. 

Choice  gifts  the  years  gone  by  have  lent, 
Let  mercies  still  be  richer  sent, 


72      Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

In  measure  full,  in  sweetness  rare, 
The  outpoured  rain,  the  answered  prayer, 
The  gentle  dew,  the  greater  shower. 
To  show  Thy  love,  to  tell  Thy  power. 

Thou,  at  beck  of  whose  magic  hand. 
The  seas  divide,  and  foes  disband. 
The  mountains  bow,  the  valleys  rise, 
The  desert  blooms,  the  wastes  revive; 
Come,  visit  Thou  this  garden  Thine, 
The  fruit  increase,  enrich  the  vine. 

With  clustered  wealth,  with  golden  store, 
With  ripeness  rich,  with  graces  more. 
With  faith  more  full,  with  hope  more  sure, 
Diviner  love,  and  lives  more  pure. 
With  these,  and  more,  our  future  crown, 
The  blessing  ours,  the  praise  Thine  own. 

Oh !  build  Thy  Church  in  virtue  strong, 
And  fill  Thy  house  with  joy  and  song; 
Thrill  Thou  our  souls  with  deep  desire. 
Kindled  each  lamp,  each  heart  on  fire. 
Till  lamps  burn  low,  and  lights  grow  dim. 
Lost  in  the  Light,  fashioned  like  Him. 

The  historical  discourse,  delivered  by  the  pas- 
tor, was  prepared  with  painstaking  care  as  to  ac- 
curacy of  dates,  names,  statistics,  and  all  details. 

Following  the  hearty  singing  of  "Blest  Be  the 
Tie  That  Binds,"  the  Apostolic  Benediction  was 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     73 

pronounced,  and  the  services,  which  had  been 
necessarily  protracted  to  an  unusual  length,  were 
concluded. 

Immediately  succeeding  the  morning  services, 
the  Sunday  School  assembled  in  force,  again  fill- 
ing the  house,  and  celebrated  its  twentieth  anni- 
versary with  appropriate  exercises.  The  history 
and  interesting  reminiscences  of  the  Sunday 
School  were  presented  by  Dr.  George  F.  Hand, 
its  first  superintendent  and  always  an  active  and 
earnest  worker  in  the  school,  and  one  of  its  most 
competent  and  successful  teachers. 

Others  also  spoke  in  similar  reminiscent  strain. 
See  Appendix. 

Any  record  of  the  important  series  of  observ- 
ances marking  the  close  of  our  twenty  years  of 
church  life  would  be  incomplete  without  the  fur- 
ther mention  of  the  pleasant  events  connected 
with  the  enthusiastic  and  happy  social  gathering 
held  on  New  Year's  Eve  in  commemoration  of 
the  advent  of  the  pastor  and  his  family  in  the 
city. 

NEW  YEAR'S  SOCIAL  RE-UNION  AFTER 
TWO  DECADES 

Saturday  evening  (Dec.  31,  1892)  marked  pre- 
cisely twenty  years  since  the  pastor,  with  his  fam- 


74       Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

ily,  arrived  in  this  city  to  undertake  the  organi- 
zation of  the  West  Presbyterian  Church.  The 
event  was  celebrated  by  an  informal  gathering  of 
his  people  at  the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  M.  L. 
Barnes,  No.  124  Oak  Street.  It  was  the  same 
house  in  which  the  pastor  and  his  family  were 
first  warmly  welcomed  on  their  arrival  from  Con- 
necticut. 

The  whole  affair  was  arranged  as  a  surprise, 
and  was  admirably  carried  out.  The  tastefully 
decorated  rooms  were  thronged  with  old  and 
young,  including  a  number  of  the  founders  of  the 
church.  Man)^  of  a  younger  generation  who  had 
since  come  upon  the  stage,  and  had  been  added  to 
the  church,  were  also  present. 

The  more  formal  exercises  began  with  the  sing- 
ing of  "Blest  Be  the  Tie,"  followed  with  prayer 
by  the  pastor. 

Then  James  W.  Manier,  president  of  the  Sus- 
quehanna Valley  Bank,  who  had  been  identified 
with  the  church  from  its  beginning,  stepped  for- 
ward, and,  in  a  unique  and  highly  appropriate 
and  appreciative  address,  presented  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Dunham,  in  behalf  of  the  people,  a  beautiful 
Royal  Worcester  vase  filled  with  choice  cut  flow- 
ers, and  an  elegant  set  of  Haviland  china  of  one 
hundred   and   forty  pieces.     A  complete  set  of 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     75 

living's  works  was  also  presented  to  their  son 
Luther.  The  latter  thanked  the  company  in  a 
few  words,  and  Mr.  Dunham  gave  fuller  ex- 
pression to  the  gratitude  of  the  whole  fam- 
ily. He  touched  upon  the  happy  relations  ex- 
isting between  pastor  and  people  during  a  full 
score  of  years. 

THE  SILVER  JUBILEE 

Five  years  later,  when  the  time  had  arrived  for 
the  celebration  of  the  first  quarter  century  of  the 
church's  existence,  the  event  attracted  widespread 
interest  and  attention.  This  was  in  February, 
1898.  The  City  Ministerial  Association  adopted 
complimentary  resolutions  such  as  might  well 
make  any  man  feel  that  he  had  not  lived  alto- 
gether in  vain.     The  following  is  a  copy: 

"It  having  come  to  the  knowledge  of  this  As- 
sociation, that  the  West  Presbyterian  Church  is 
now  celebrating  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of 
its  organization,  and  also  of  the  pastorate  of  the 
Rev.  Samuel  Dunham,  who  has  been  for  the  same 
period  of  time  the  faithful  secretary  of  this  asso- 
ciation : — 

''We  desire  to  extend  to  the  West  Presbyterian 
Church  and  its  beloved  pastor  our  most  hearty 


76       Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

congratulations  upon  this,  the  longest  Protestant 
pastorate  in  the  history  of  Binghamton.  We  de- 
sire to  express  our  devout  thanksgiving  to  Al- 
mighty God  for  the  providence  which  has  pre- 
sided over  this  long  and  exemplary  relationship 
of  pastor  and  people.  We  bear  witness  to  the 
beneficent  and  fruitful  influence  of  this  pastorate 
upon  the  life  of  the  community.  And  we  unite 
our  prayers  with  those  of  our  brethren  in  the  West 
Presbyterian  Church,  that  this  union,  cemented 
by  most  precious  experiences  and  sacred  memories, 
may  still  further  be  blessed  unto  the  upbuilding 
of  the  Kingdom  of  Christ. 
"By  order  of  the  association, 

"WiLLARD  B.  Thorp, 
"John  H.  Race, 
"John  McVey, 

''Committee^ 

At  the  public  services  held  in  the  church 
Thursday  evening,  February  loth,  in  commemo- 
ration of  the  25th  anniversary,  the  above  minute 
was  read  and  many  gratifying  tributes  were  paid 
by  representative  ministers  of  the  various  denom- 
inations. 

The  following  brief  account  is  extracted  from 
one  of  the  local  papers  of  Feb.  1 1  th,  1 898 : 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     77 

"The  congregation  of  the  West  Presbyterian 
Church,  ably  assisted  by  scores  of  friends  and  well 
wishers,  celebrated  in  the  auditorium  of  the 
church  last  evening  the  twenty-fifth  birthday  of 
the  church.  The  various  Protestant  denomina- 
tions in  the  city  were  represented  by  pastors,  a 
number  of  whom  made  congratulatory  addresses; 
there  were  pleasing  musical  numbers;  while  so- 
ciability and  refreshm.ents  formed  the  less  serious 
part  of  the  evening. 

"A  bank  of  palms,  flanked  on  either  side  by  tall 
Norfolk  Island  pines,  showed  green  in  front  of 
the  pulpit,  and  formed  the  only  decorations.  The 
auditorium  was  crowded. 

"The  programme  opened  with  the  singing  of 
the  Doxology  by  the  choir  and  congregation,  and 
this  was  followed  by  an  invocation  by  the  Rev. 
A.  D.  Stowell.  After  the  singing  of  'Come  Thou 
Fount  of  Every  Blessing,'  by  choir  and  congre- 
gation, the  Rev.  Samuel  Dunham,  pastor  of  the 
church,  gave  a  few  words  of  greeting.  The  choir 
sang  an  anthem,  and  the  Rev.  John  H.  Race,  of  the 
Centenary  M.  E.  Church,  read  the  resolutions 
adopted  by  the  City  Ministerial  Association. 

"Mr.  Dunham  responded  with  a  few  feeling 
words,  after  which  the  Rev.  Dr.  John  McVey,  of 
the  North  Presbyterian  Church,   who  has  been 


78       Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

closely  associated  with  Mr.  Dunham  for  years, 
was  introduced.  He  congratulated  the  church 
upon  having  been  so  useful  during  the  twenty- 
five  years  of  its  existence,  considering  competi- 
tion and  location,  and  the  pastor  upon  having 
been  so  successful  in  keeping  the  congregation  to- 
gether, for,  as  he  said,  congregations  are  usually 
made  up  of  many  men  of  many  minds.  He  be- 
lieved a  large  part  of  the  credit  for  the  work  that 
had  been  done  was  due  to  one  who  was  watch- 
ing it  from  above,  referring  to  the  late  Mrs.  Dun- 
ham. He  congratulated  the  church  also  on  its 
new  move  in  building  an  edifice  on  Main  Street. 

''Miss  Jennie  Westcott  sang  a  solo,  and  the 
Rev.  Thomas  Clayton,  of  Plymouth  Congrega- 
tional Church,  spoke  briefly.  He  was  'glad  that 
the  pastor  and  people  had  been  together  twenty- 
five  years  without  a  row.'  He  referred  to  the 
beneficent  influences  radiating  from  the  West 
Church,  and  hoped  that  the  organization  would 
be  blessed  in  the  future  as  in  the  past. 

"The  next  speaker  was  the  Rev.  Dr.  E.  B. 
Olmstead,  of  the  Tabernacle  M.  E.  Church,  who 
spoke  of  the  cordial  relations  which  had  always 
existed  between  his  church  and  the  West  church. 
He  made  reference  to  Mr.  Dunham's  long  pas- 
torate and  expressed  the  hope  that  the  present 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     79 

system  of  rotation  employed  in  the  Methodist 
Church  would  soon  be  done  away  with.  Dr. 
Olmstead  felicitated  the  church  on  the  move  which 
would  soon  bring  them  'within  the  sound  of  Meth- 
odist amens.' 

"The  Rev.  Frank  H.  Cooper,  of  the  Main 
Street  Baptist  Church,  was  called  upon,  and  com- 
plimented the  church  on  its  record  for  the  past 
and  he  hoped  that  it  would  long  'be  a  power  for 
righteousness.'  He  believed  that  a  church  ought 
to  represent  positive  Christianity. 

"Benjamin  A.  Baumann,  Charles  S.  Miller 
and  W.  A.  Miller,  members  of  the  church  quar- 
tet, sang  a  selection,  accompanied  on  mandolins 
by  the  Brunner  brothers. 

"Dr.  George  F.  Hand,  one  of  the  prime  movers 
in  the  organization  of  the  Sunday  school,  who  was 
next  introduced,  believed  that  the  older  members 
had  cause  for  pride  in  looking  back  upon  the  small 
beginnings  and  comparing  them  with  the  present 
great  gathering.  He  congratulated  the  younger 
members  who  were  to  be  the  movers  in  the  new 
work  of  erecting  a  new  church,  for  he  believed 
that  they  would  look  back  in  after  years  with 
pleasure  at  their  work. 

"C.  E.  Terrell,  assistant  superintendent  of  the 
Sunday  school,  spoke,  representing  Superintendent 


80      Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

H.  J.  Gaylord,  who  though  present  was  somewhat 
indisposed.  He  thought  that  the  same  spirit 
which  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago  had  prompted 
the  organization  of  the  church  is  the  same  spirit 
which  is  to-day  prompting  the  building  of  a  new 
church  home.  He  referred  to  the  work  and  in- 
fluence of  Mrs.  Dunham. 

"The  Rev.  Dr.  Edward  Taylor  spoke  next. 
For. five  years  previous  to  the  organization  of  the 
West  Presbyterian  Church,  he  stated,  he  had  been 
the  only  Protestant  minister  west  of  the  Chenango 
River.  Then  Mr.  Dunham  came.  'The  past,' 
he  said,  epigrammatically,  'ought  not  to  be  a 
hitching  post  but  a  guide  post.'  The  church  had 
been  in  the  past  sustained  by  faith.  It  ought  not 
to  fear  for  the  future. 

"In  a  brief  address,  the  Rev.  Dr.  L.  C.  Floyd, 
presiding  elder  of  the  Binghamton  district  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  spoke  in  compli- 
mentary terms  of  Mr.  Dunham,  who,  he  said, 
had  always  been  ready  to  extend  to  him  a  helping 
hand. 

"The  Rev.  J.  H.  Anderson,  of  Zion  A.  M.  E. 
Church,  was  announced.  'You  have  listened,'  he 
said,  'to  the  Methodist  artillery,  the  Baptist  navy, 
the  Congregational  regulars,  and  now  I  suppose 
you  wish  a  few  words  from  the  dark  horse  cav- 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     81 

airy.'  He  spoke  of  the  aid  which  the  West  church 
had  always  given  his  people. 

"Rev.  D.  N.  Grummon  spoke  and  C.  B.  Starr 
rendered  a  vocal  solo,  accompanied  by  Miss  Kate 
Hotchkin. 

"The  Rev.  Frederick  Perkins,  of  the  Broad 
Avenue  Presbyterian  Church,  the  last  pastor  called 
upon,  spoke  very  briefly.  After  a  song  by  Mrs. 
L.  H.  Quackenbush,  the  Rev.  John  MacLachlan, 
of  Immanuel  Presbyterian  Church,  offered  prayer. 
Mrs.  Charles  A.  Ball  was  accompanist  during  the 
musical  numbers.  Besides  the  clergymen  who 
spoke,  the  Rev.  William  T.  Doubleday,  a  retired 
Presbyterian  minister,  and  the  Rev.  A.  D.  Decker, 
of  the  Clinton  Street  M.  E.  Church,  were  in  the 
house. 

"During  the  evening  Mr.  Dunham  announced 
the  receipt  of  congratulatory  letters  from  the  Rev. 
Dr.  G.  Parsons  Nichols,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Charles  P. 
Coit,  of  the  Memorial  Presbyterian  Church  in 
Rochester,  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  Herman  C.  Riggs, 
of  St.  Peter's  Presbyterian  Church,  Rochester. 
The  Baptist  clergymen  of  the  city  were  not  all 
able  to  be  present  on  account  of  another  affair  at 
which  the  presence  of  most  of  them  was  required." 

The  following  April  fitting  services  were  again 
held    in    observance    more    particularly    of    the 


82      Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  the  pastor's  formal 
installation  on  April  24th,  1873.  Invitations 
were  issued  in  the  following  form  and  sent  out  to 
many  friends  of  the  church  and  of  the  pastor: — 

April  24,  1873,  April  24^  18(^8. 

The  West  "Presbyterian  Churchy 

of  Binghamton,  N.  Y., 

Cordially  invites  you  to  be  present  at  the 

celebration  of  the 

Twenty 'fifth  Anniversary 

of  the  installation  of  its  first  Pastor^ 

Rev.  Samuel  Dunham, 

on  Sunday,  April  24th,  i8g8, 

at  10:30  A.  M.  and  ^.-30  P.  M, 

Also  to  a  Reception, 

to  be  tendered  the  Pastor,  at  the  Parsonage, 

Cor.  North  and  Chapin  Streets, 

Tuesday  Evening,  April  26th, 

from  8  :oo  to  11:00  o'clock. 

At  the  Sunday  morning  services  the  Rev.  Edwin 
F.  Hallenbeck,  of  Albany,  offered  prayer,  and  the 
pastor  preached  the  anniversary  sermon,  taking 
his  text  from  1st  Timothy  1:12,  "I  thank  Christ 
Jesus  our  Lord,  who  hath  enabled  me,  for  that 
he  counted  me  faithful,  putting  me  into  the  min- 
istry." 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     83 

In  concluding  his  discourse,  he  reviewed  the 
work,  already  begun,  of  erecting  the  new  church 
at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Walnut  Streets,  and 
predicted  a  bright  and  useful  future. 

Before  the  sermon  the  following  minute, 
adopted  by  Binghamton  Presbytery  at  Cortland 
the  preceding  Tuesday,  was  read: — 

"On  the  next  Lord's  day  there  will  be  observed 
the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  the  instalment  of 
the  Rev.  Samuel  Dunham  over  the  West  Presby- 
terian Church  of  Binghamton.  The  church  has 
had  no  other  pastor,  and  the  pastorate  is  con- 
terminous with  the  existence  of  the  church. 

"From  a  small  beginning  the  church  has  grown 
to  have  a  membership  of  over  600.  A  fruitful 
twenty-five  years  of  soul  saving  and  spiritual  de- 
velopment has  been  passed  and  enjoyed.  The 
present  house  of  worship  having  become  too  small 
for  the  increasing  congregation,  a  new  one  is  about 
to  be  built  in  a  better  location. 

"The  presbytery,  therefore,  most  heartily  con- 
gratulates the  pastor  and  the  church  upon  the 
notable  success  which  has  been  reached  during  the 
quarter  of  a  century,  and  most  earnestly  prays  that 
the  blessing  of  God,  as  in  the  past,  may  rest  upon 
both  in  the  future." 


84      Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

More  than  one  hundred  congratulatory  letters 
were  received  by  the  pastor  from  old  friends,  men 
in  the  ministry  and  other  professions,  and  from 
many  men  of  prominence  who  were  pleased  to 
manifest  friendly  interest  in  the  occasion. 

Extracts  from  a  number  of  these  were  read  at 
the  afternoon  service. 

An  appreciative  editorial  article  appeared  in 
the  New  Tork  Evangelist  of  May  12,  1898,  giv- 
ing a  clear  and  concise  description  of  the  anni- 
versary observances,  under  the  caption — "A 
Quarter  of  a  Century  Grandly  Celebrated." 

The  article  is  here  appended: — 

A  QUARTER  OF  A  CENTURY  GRANDLY 
CELEBRATED 

"The  closing  week  of  April,  just  passed,  will 
long  be  remembered  in  the  beautiful  city  of  Bing- 
hamton,  and  especially,  by  the  congregation  of 
the  West  Presbyterian  Church  and  its  pastor — 
the  Rev.  Samuel  Dunham — whose  happy  rela- 
tions as  pastor  and  people  then  completed  a  quar- 
ter of  a  century.  It  was  on  the  afternoon  of  the 
24th  of  April,  1873,  that  Mr.  Dunham,  then  in 
the  flush  of  early  manhood,  was  installed  over 
this  church,  its  first  and  only  pastor.  Bringing 
credentials   from   the   Brookfield   Association   of 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     85 

Massachusetts,  and  from  the  Congregational 
Church  in  Norwalk,  Connecticut,  which  he  had 
been  serving,  he  was  received  by  Presbytery  and 
at  once  installed — the  sermon  by  the  Rev.  W.  E. 
Knox,  D.  D.,  of  Elmira,  and  the  other  parts  of 
service  by  the  Rev.  Drs.  Gulliver  and  Taylor,  the 
Revs.  Peter  Lockwood,  D.  D.  Gregory,  C.  P.  Coit 
and  Samuel  T.  Clarke  of  Owego. 

"A  great  congregation  assembled  in  the  elab- 
orately prepared  auditorium  on  this  anniversary 
Sabbath  morning,  now  twenty-iive  years  later, 
to  listen  to  the  pastor's  review.  Taking  i  Tim- 
othy i.  12  as  his  text,  his  discourse  was  essen- 
tially a  pean  of  thanksgiving,  and  all  his  audi- 
tors were  in  hearty  sympathy  with  its  joyful, 
courageous  note.  He  was  grateful  for  having 
been  put  into  the  ministry  in  this  day  and  age; 
for  the  preciousness  of  the  message  entrusted  to 
him;  that  his  lot  had  been  cast  among  such  a 
loving  and  loyal  people;  and  for  the  results,  visi- 
ble and  invisible,  achieved  by  God's  blessing.  He 
said  relative  to  this  last:  Starting  with  sixty-five 
members,  the  additions  for  the  entire  period  have 
been  619  on  profession  of  faith,  and  494  by  let- 
ter, a  total  of  1,1 13.  The  net  gain  is  690.  The 
average  number  of  yearly  additions  for  the  full 
term  of  twenty-five  years  is  about  forty-five.    Had 


86      Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

we  sustained  no  losses  during  the  quarter  century, 
our  present  roll  of  members  would  be  1,178. 

"This  church  has  given  liberally  to  our  Boards 
and  to  general  benevolence.  After  glancing  at 
this  phase  of  its  history,  the  pastor  touches  upon 
what  he  rightly  terms  'a  number  of  noteworthy 
achievements' :  'The  first  was  the  lifting  of  a 
crushing  debt  of  $16,000  in  1875  by  a  most  heroic 
and  self  sacrificing  struggle.  The  next  notable 
advance  was  ten  years  later,  when  this  edifice  un- 
derwent a  complete  transformation  at  a  cost  of 
some  $8,500.  Seven  years  later  the  pleasant  and 
roomy  parsonage,  adjoining  the  church,  was  com- 
pleted and  occupied  by  the  pastor  and  his  family. 
The  next  grand  forward  movement  is  that  with 
which  they  are  just  now  grappling — the  problem 
of  an  entirely  new  church  edifice  upon  a  new  and 
more  eligible  site,  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Wal- 
nut Streets.' 

"This  new  church,  plans  for  which  are  now 
completed,  it  is  well  to  add  here,  is  to  be  erected 
as  a  memorial  to  the  late  Mrs.  Dunham,  who, 
for  twenty-one  years  of  the  period  here  commem- 
orated, and  thirty  years  of  her  husband's  minis- 
try, was  his  most  devoted  and  efficient  helper. 
She  was  greatly  admired  and  beloved  by  that 
whole  community,  and  the  purpose  to  perpetuate 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     87 

her  memory  in  the  form  above  indicated,  will  be 
heartily  approved  by  all  who  knew  her,  as  an  en- 
during and  fitting  tribute  to  genuine  worth. 

"The  afternoon  service  was  of  the  nature  of  a 
fine  'dress  parade'  of  the  Sunday  school  depart- 
ment of  the  West  Church,  Dr.  George  F.  Hand 
reading  an  historical  paper,  followed  by  one  on 
the  Ladies'  Industrial  Society,  by  Mrs.  M.  L. 
Barnes;  Woman's  Missionary  Society,  by  Miss 
Jane  Howard;  Kings  Daughters,  by  Mrs.  Wil- 
liam E.  Barnes;  Christian  Endeavor  Societies,  by 
B.  A.  Baumann.  Miss  Lucia  Munson  rendered 
a  pleasing  vocal  solo,  and  a  brief  congratulatory 
address  was  given  by  Dr.  R.  A.  Paterson.  About 
one  hundred  congratulatory  letters  were  received 
by  Mr.  Dunham,  and  parts  of  a  few  of  them  were 
read.  The  writers  were  Dr.  Robert  MacKenzie 
of  San  Francisco,  Dr.  James  Gardner  of  Glovers- 
ville.  President  Raymond  of  Union  College,  Pres- 
ident Stryker  of  Hamilton  College,  Dr.  T.  L. 
Cuyler  of  Brooklyn,  Dr.  W.  A.  Bartlett  of  New 
York  Mills,  Professor  W.  J.  Beecher  of  Auburn 
Seminary,  Professor  J.  L.  Daniels  of  Olivet  Col- 
lege, Michigan,  Dr.  H.  H.  Stebbins  of  Rochester, 
Dr.  S.  W.  Dana  of  Philadelphia,  Dr.  A.  J.  Upson 
of  Glens  Falls  and  others. 

*The  West  Presbyterian  Sunday  school   was 


88       Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

organized  January  19th,  1873,  with  forty-seven 
members.  The  present  membership,  including 
the  Home  Class,  is  539.  During  the  twenty-five 
years  the  school  has  had  only  four  Superintend- 
ents, Dr.  George  F.  Hand,  ten  years ;  David  Mur- 
ray, Esq.,  two  years;  Thomas  M.  Greacen,  three 
years;  H.  J.  Gaylord  is  now  in  his  eleventh  year 
of  service. 

"The  Primary  Department  starting  with  ten 
members  has  now  a  roll  of  eighty.  Its  first  Su- 
perintendent was  Miss  Harriet  La  Grange,  now 
of  Tripoli,  Syria.  Then  came  Miss  Annie  Wil- 
liams, for  five  years;  Miss  Carrie  Stone  (now  Mrs. 
C.  C.  Jackson),  three  years;  Mrs.  David  Murray, 
one  year;  Miss  Nellie  A.  Barnes  (now  wife  of 
Rev.  George  A.  Brock  of  Saxonville,  Massachu- 
setts), four  years;  Mrs.  J.  M.  Seabury,  the  last 
eleven  years. 

"The  total  offerings  of  the  school,  amounting 
to  $83.74  ^-^^  fi^s^  year,  now  show  an  aggregate  of 
$6,166.43,  o^  which  sum  $2,138.61  has  been  con- 
tributed to  missions. 

"The  Home  Department,  organized  in  1890, 
has  been  in  charge  successively  of  M.  L.  Barnes, 
Miss  Clarissa  Smith,  W.  O.  Birdsall  and  Mrs. 
Mary  Buell. 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     89 

"On  Tuesday  evening  an  anniversary  reception 
was  held  at  the  parsonage,  and  there  was  a  very 
large  gathering  of  members  and  friends  of  the 
West  Church.  Former  members,  citizens,  and 
ministerial  brethren  of  the  city,  very  generally 
took  this  occasion  to  express  their  cordial  feelings. 
The  visitors  were  received  by  Mr.  Dunham,  as- 
sisted by  Elder  J.  M.  Stone,  Mrs.  M.  L.  Barnes, 
one  of  the  original  members  of  the  church.  Super- 
intendent H.  J.  Gaylord  of  the  Sunday  school, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  C.  Jackson,  Elder  and  Mrs.  W. 
L.  Bundy,  Elder  and  Mrs.  George  F.  Hand. 
Among  those  present  from  other  places  was  Dr. 
J.  Wilford  Jacks,  Superintendent  of  Synodical 
Missions,  but  whose  pastorate  was  of  similar 
length  of  the  one  here  celebrated.  We  print  a 
fine  likeness  of  Pastor  Dunham,  on  our  first  page, 
as  altogether  fitting  at  this  happy  juncture." 

THE  PROJECT  OF  A  NEW  CHURCH  EDIFICE 

The  project  of  an  entirely  new  church  build- 
ing to  be  located  upon  a  new  and  far  more  eligi- 
ble site  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Walnut  Streets 
— known  as  the  Judge  Edwards  place — ^began  to 
take  definite  shape  in  the  Autumn  of  1897.  For 
a  long  while  our  quarters  had  been  felt  to  be  too 


90       Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

cramped,  and  our  facilities  altogether  inadequate 
to  our  needs,  acting  as  a  manifest  hindrance  to 
our  most  rapid  growth. 

Three  years  earlier,  at  a  time  when  there  was  a 
generally  expressed  desire  for  some  improvement, 
with  ampler  accommodations,  the  pastor  laid  be- 
fore a  few  of  his  people  a  proposition  looking  to 
the  enlargement  of  our  sanctuary,  or,  the  erection 
of  a  chapel  as  a  sacred  memorial  to  the  pastor's 
wife. 

But,  beyond  cordial  expressions  and  the  ap- 
pointment of  a  committee  to  consider  and  report 
on  the  matter,  the  plan  took  no  practical,  tangible 
form. 

Early  in  the  Summer  of  1897,  in  view  of  the 
continued  and  increasing  desire  and  demand  for 
enlarged  facilities,  the  pastor  was  moved  to  re- 
new his  offer,  or,  rather,  to  present  a  new  and 
more  definite  proposition,  first  to  the  Board  of 
Trustees,  and  later  to  the  congregation. 

This  proposition  met  with  immediate  and  en- 
thusiastic response. 

The  trustees  secured  an  architect,  a  careful  study 
was  made  of  the  situation,  plans  were  elaborated 
for  the  extensive  enlargement  of  the  Chapin  Street 
house  of  worship,  and  estimates  were  made  of  the 
cost. 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     91 

But,  when  all  of  that  was  done,  several  very 
stubborn  facts  were  encountered.  First,  the 
plans,  though  probably  the  best  that  could,  in  the 
circumstances,  be  devised,  were  found  to  be  very 
unsatisfactory  both  to  those  who  examined  them, 
and  to  the  architect  himself.  Secondly,  it  was 
ascertained  that  the  estimated  cost  of  the  proposed 
improvements  approximated  the  probable  expense 
of  building  a  new  edifice. 

And,  thirdly,  it  was  very  soon  discovered  that 
it  would  be  absolutely  impossible  to  raise  any  con- 
siderable sum  of  money  to  be  expended  upon  the 
old  house  of  worship,  the  feeling  being  very  gen- 
eral that  it  would  be  an  unwise  and  unsatisfac- 
tory expenditure. 

There  was  a  fourth  consideration,  also,  that 
had  no  little  weight,  viz : — the  fact  that,  from  the 
beginning  of  this  church  enterprise  in  1873,  the 
location  of  our  church,  while  in  some  respects 
beautiful  and  desirable,  had  been  generally  re- 
garded as  unfavorable  to  our  most  rapid  and  sub- 
stantial growth  and  prosperity. 

All  these  facts  combined,  naturally  carried  al- 
most irresistible  force  when  the  question  quite  un- 
expectedly arose  of  a  change  of  location. 

Practically,  with  very  few  exceptions,  there  was 
but  one  sentiment,  and  that  in  favor  of  the  new 


92      Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

and  more  convenient  and  commanding  site.  The 
pastor's  only  regret  was  that  the  project  could  not 
have  the  cordial  and  absolutely  unanimous  ap- 
proval and  support  of  our  entire  church  and  con- 
gregation, especially  inasmuch  as,  already,  by  a 
perfectly  unanimous  vote,  without  a  single  dis- 
senting voice,  the  Society  had  expressed  its  desire 
and  purpose  to  erect  some  suitable  memorial  in 
loving  memory  of  her  who,  for  twenty  years  of 
his  pastorate,  was  his  most  efficient  helper. 

Upon  the  main  question  there  was  no  diverg- 
ence of  opinion  whatever,  but  merely  upon  the 
wisdom  or  expediency  of  abandoning  the  original 
location  in  the  carrying  out  of  a  purpose  upon 
which  all  were  perfectly  agreed.  Pending  the 
settlement  of  this  most  grave  and  important  mat- 
ter, the  pastor  made  a  number  of  public  utter- 
ances, canvassing  the  question  thoroughly  on  all 
sides,  and  summoning  his  utmost  candor  and  sin- 
cerity of  conviction,  as  well  as  maturity  of  judg- 
ment, among  which  was  the  following: — 

"I  recognize  the  fact,  as  I  have  from  the  first, 
that  it  is  no  small  or  trifling  undertaking,  and 
can  readily  see  how,  to  some  few  conservative 
minds,  it  should  seem  even  extra  hazardous. 

"But,  the  estimated  and  guaranteed  cost  is  such 
as  to  make  the  enterprise  entirely  feasible  to  a 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     93 

thoroughly  united,  courageous,  and  generous- 
hearted  people.  My  sober  conviction  is  that  this 
proposed  movement, — by  far  the  most  important 
our  church  has  ever  undertaken, — deserves  and 
ought  to  receive  the  loyal  and  undivided  support 
of  every  member  of  this  church  and  congrega- 
tion. 

''It  is  not  a  question  of  mere  personal  prefer- 
ence. It  rises  immeasurably  above  that.  There 
are  no  personal  ends  to  be  gained.  It  is  a  ques- 
tion of  this  church's  highest  welfare.  The  simple 
question  is  whether  now  at  the  close  of  a  quarter 
of  a  century  of  growth  and  prosperity,  we  are 
ready  to  recede,  or  whether  the  opening  of  the 
second  twenty-five  years  of  our  history  shall  be 
signalized  by  wise  and  far-seeing  measures  for 
definite  advance.  The  enterprise  ought  to  have 
the  encouragem.ent  of  every  voice,  and  the  aid  of 
every  strong  hand,  and  the  help  of  every  man's 
purse,  be  it  little  or  much. 

"I  believe,  my  friends,  this  is  God's  cause,  that 
God  is  in  it,  and  has  been  from  the  beginning. 

"The  whole  movement  was  started  in  prayer; 
not  a  step  has  been  taken  without  it,  and  the  guid- 
ance of  the  Spirit  has  been  earnestly  and  humbly 
sought  in  every  move  that  has  been  made.  May 
God  continue  to  foster  it,  and  bless  it,  and  care 


94      Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

for  it,  and  raise  up  a  multitude  of  friends  for  us, 
and  carry  the  whole  work  on  to  a  glorious  and 
happy  completion,  as  we  feel  assured  He  will. 

"If  God  prospers  this  undertaking  and  permits 
us  to  see  the  consummation  of  our  hopes,  my  can- 
did prediction  is  that  the  second  quarter  century 
of  this  church's  history  will  far  exceed  the  first 
in  all  best  and  sweetest  fruits,  in  all  richest  and 
ripest,  most  precious  and  permanent  results  for 
Christ  and  for  this  community,  for  the  Church  at 
large,  for  the  world  and  for  humanity. 
"So  may  God  grant  that  it  may  be !" 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  when  the  final  action  was 
taken,  on  Oct.  13,  1897,  the  sentiment  of  the  peo- 
ple was  found  to  be  so  nearly  unanimous  in  favor 
of  the  project  that  it  was  deemed  best  to  go  for- 
ward, and  thus  it  was  resolved  to  do, 

SUBSCRIPTIONS  STARTED 

A  conditional  subscription  was  drawn  up  in  the 
following  form : — 

We,  the  Undersigned,  hereby  agree  to  pay  the  sums 
set  opposite  our  names  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  New 
Church  Edifice,  for  the  Society  of  the  West  Presby- 
terian Church  of  Binghamton,  upon  the  lot  known  as  the 
Judge  Edwards  site^  situated  at  the  corner  of  Main  and 
Walnut  Streets^  in  this  Cityy 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     95 

As  A  Sacred  Memorial  to  the  late 
Mrs.  Samuel  Dunham, 

wife  of  the  Pastor^  and  in  commemoration  of  the  Twenty- 
fifth  year  of  Mr.  Dunham's  pastorate. 

PROVIDED^  that  not  less  than  $1^,000  shall  be  sub- 
scribed for  said  purpose  before  the  work  is  begun. 
Subscriptions  to  be  paid  within  a  period  of  one  year  from 
the  time  the  full  amount  is  subscribed^  in  four  quarterly 
installments^  or^  if  in  any  case  preferred,  in  four  equal 
semi-annual  payments. 

No  subscriber  shall  be  under  any  obligation  to  pay 
until  the  whole  sum  of  $15,000  shall  have  been  pledged. 

On  October  17,  1897,  following  a  sermon  by 
the  pastor,  the  first  subscriptions  were  taken  re- 
sulting in  pledges  to  the  amount  of  $7,000  that 
day.  By  December  1st  the  whole  sum  of  $15,000 
had  been  pledged,  and  the  prosecution  of  the  work 
thereby  assured. 

Meantime  the  pastor  had  been  busy  canvassing 
the  important  question  of  the  best  plans  for  a 
model  church  building.  In  his  search  he  person- 
ally visited  various  cities,  east  and  west,  exam- 
ined many  churches,  and  finally  discovered  the 
ideal  church  architecture  in  the  Elm  Park  Church, 
Scranton,  Pa.,  George  W.  Cramer  &  Co.,  Madi- 
son Avenue,  New  York  City,  architects.  It  is 
known  as  the  Akron,  Ohio,  style,  and  was  orig- 


96      Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

inated  by  the  Cramers.  The  proportions  are  such 
as  to  assure  perfect  acoustic  properties. 

Plans  and  estimates  of  various  architects  from 
widely  separated  sections  of  the  country  were  pre- 
sented, and,  after  careful  examination  and  com- 
parison, that  of  S.  O.  Lacey,  of  Binghamton,  was 
finally  accepted. 

On  Monday,  June  6,  1898,  the  building  con- 
tracts were  signed,  and  on  Tuesday,  June  7th, 
ground  was  broken.  The  £rst  foundation  stones 
were  laid  on  July  1st. 

CORNER-STONE  LAID 

The  corner-stone  was  laid  with  impressive  cere- 
monies in  the  presence  of  hundreds  of  spectators 
on  the  afternoon  of  Tuesday,  September  13,  1898. 

The  majority  of  the  city  clergy  occupied  re- 
served seats  upon  the  temporary  platform,  the 
floor  was  filled  with  friends,  and  the  streets  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  church  were  crowded  with  people. 

The  West  Church  choir  led  in  the  musical  part 
of  the  programme,  and  "Jerusalem  the  Golden" 
was  sung  by  the  male  quartet,  composed  of  C.  S. 
Miller,  B.  A.  Baumann,  Frank  Snyder  and  J.  M. 
Seabury. 

Following  brief   remarks   by   the   pastor,    ad- 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     97 

dresses  were  made  by  Rev.  Dr.  John  McVey,  of 
the  North  Presbyterian  Church,  Rev.  F.  H. 
Cooper,  of  the  Main  Street  Baptist  Church,  Rev. 
Willard  B.  Thorp,  of  the  First  Congregational 
Church,  Rev.  Dr.  E.  B.  Olmstead,  of  the  Taber- 
nacle M.  E.  Church,  and  Rev.  Dr.  Edward  Tay- 
lor. 

Rev.  D.  N.  Grummon,  of  the  Ross  Memorial 
Church,  and  Rev.  John  MacLachlan,  of  the  Im- 
manuel  Church,  also  had  part  in  the  services. 

The  corner-stone  was  formally  laid  by  the  pas- 
tor, in  the  following  words,  accompanying  the 
pronunciation  of  the  names  of  the  Trinity  with 
three  strokes  of  the  hammer: — 

"Recognizing  the  extreme  solemnity  and  im- 
portance of  this  act,  I  lay  this  corner-stone  in  the 
name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  may  the  blessing  of  Almighty 
God  rest  upon  the  edifice  that  shall  be  here 
erected,  and  may  this  Church  be  a  blessing  to  the 
cause  of  Christ  in  the  community  and  in  the 
world." 

A  highly  polished  brass  box,  the  gift  of  the  late 
W.  L.  Bundy,  a  trustee  and  elder  in  the  church, 
was  deposited  in  the  corner-stone,  containing  the 
following  list  of  articles: — 


98       Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

CONTENTS  OF  THE  BOX 

(i)   A  copy  of  the  Holy  Bible. 

(2)  A  copy  of  "The  Constitution  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church  in  the  United  States  of  America, 
containing  the  Confession  of  Faith,  the  Cate- 
chism, the  Directory  for  the  Worship  of  God, 
the  Plan  of  Government,  and  the  Discipline  of  the 
Church." 

(3)  Copy  of  the  official  programme  for  the 
"Celebration  of  the  Quarter-Millennial  Anniver- 
sary of  the  Adoption  of  the  Confession  of  Faith 
and  Catechisms  of  the  Westminster  Assembly  Di- 
vines" in  1648,  as  observed  by  the  last  General 
Assembly  at  Winona  Lake,  Indiana. 

(4)  The  roll  of  the  one  hundred  and  tenth 
General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
May,  1898. 

(5)  Copy  of  "The  New  Laudes  Domini" — 
the  hymn  book  in  present  use  by  the  Church. 

(6)  Copy  of  the  earliest  manual  of  the  West 
Church,  issued  in  1876,  containing  the  Articles  of 
Faith  and  Covenant,  a  historical  sketch  of  the 
church,  a  catalogue  of  the  then  members,  and  a 
list  of  the  sixty-five  original  members  of  the 
church. 

(7)  Copy  of  the  latest  Year  Book  and  Church 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     99 

Directory,  with  cuts  both  of  the  old  church  and 
of  the  pastor,  a  complete  catalogue,  and  the  names 
of  the  officers  of  all  the  organizations  of  the 
church. 

(8)  Copy  of  "In  Memoriam" — a  booklet  in 
memory  of  the  late  Mrs.  Sarah  M.  Dunham,  wife 
of  the  pastor,  and  containing  a  portrait  of  Mrs. 
Dunham. 

(9)  Copies  of  all  the  local  newspapers  contain- 
ing accounts  of  the  25th  anniversary  of  the  or- 
ganization of  the  church  as  observed  February, 
1898,  and  of  the  25th  anniversary  of  the  settle- 
ment of  the  pastor  as  observed  last  April, — the 
latter  papers,  bearing  date  April  2^,  1898,  con- 
taining, also,  in  glaring  head-lines  the  first  pub- 
lic announcement  of  our  Declaration  of  War 
with  Spain. 

(10)  The  New  Tork  Evangelist  of  May  12, 
'98,  with  an  account  of  the  quarter  century  cele- 
bration, and  a  half-tone  likeness  of  the  pastor. 

(11)  Copy  of  the  Evening  Herald  of  March 
17,  '98,  containing  a  cut  of  the  new  church  as 
drawn  from  the  architect's  designs. 

(12)  Names  of  the  architect,  contractors  and 
builders  of  the  new  edifice. 

(13)  Copies  of  the  current  issues  of  the  vari- 
ous local  newspapers. 


100    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

(14)  Names  of  the  present  officers  of  the 
church,  the  Society,  and  the  Sunday  school. 

(15)  Names  of  the  seventy-three  members  of 
the  Young  People's  Society  of  Christian  En- 
deavor, and  of  the  forty -six  members  of  the 
Junior  Endeavor  Society,  with  a  copy  of  the 
Model  Constitution  of  the  Endeavor  Society. 

(16)  Copies  of  the  latest  weekly  "Reminders" 
(printed  notices)  of  the  church;  copies  of  the 
Westminster  Teacher  for  September,  1898,  the 
current  number  of  the  Westminster  Sunday-school 
Quarterly;  programme  for  "Rallying  Day,"  Sept. 
25,  1898,  with  the  plan  of  the  Twentieth  Century 
Movement;  programme  of  the  last  semi-annual 
meeting  of  the  Broome  County  Sunday  School 
Association;  the  Year-Book  of  the  Binghamton 
Young  Women's  Christian  Association;  souvenir 
of  the  thirty-third  anniversary  of  the  City  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association,  and  other  printed 
matter  of  the  Association;  the  Binghamton  City 
Directory;  the  1898  "Souvenir  of  Binghamton," 
issued  by  the  Binghamton  Railroad  Company; 
names  of  the  members  of  the  Binghamton  Minis- 
terial Association;  a  catalogue  of  Elmira  College, 
with  views  of  buildings  and  grounds,  and  various 
miscellaneous  documents,  cards  and  circulars  used 
by  the  pastor  in  his  church  work. 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     101 

(17)  Finally,  a  careful  copy  of  the  most  im- 
portant records  of  the  Trustees  and  Society  re- 
lating to  the  erection  of  the  new  church  as  a  sa- 
cred memorial  to  the  late  Mrs.  Dunham,  includ- 
ing the  pastor's  formal  proposition  to  the  Board 
of  Trustees,  the  favorable  action  of  the  Trustees 
thereon,  the  subsequent  unanimous  vote  of  the 
Society  to  erect  some  suitable  memorial,  and  the 
action  of  the  Society  adopting  the  recommenda- 
tions of  the  Board  of  Trustees  that  steps  be  taken 
for  the  erection  of  a  new  church  edifice  at  the  cor- 
ner of  Main  and  Walnut  Streets. 

The  work  of  construction  went  steadily  for- 
ward during  the  Fall  and  Winter,  and  on  the 
morning  of  April  26,  1899,  the  flambeau,  or  torch 
finial,  was  lifted  to  its  place  at  the  summit  of  the 
spire,  to  stand  as  a  sacred  emblem  of  the  church's 
mission  in  spreading  far  and  wide  a  cheering  sav- 
ing light. 

Early  in  the  following  October  the  work  had 
so  far  progressed,  and  the  interior  furnishings  and 
finishings  had  so  nearly  reached  completion  that 
plans  were  matured  for  an  early  removal  from 
the  old  to  the  new  house  of  worship. 


102    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

A  GRACEFUL  TRIBUTE  FROM  THE  CITY 
MINISTERIAL  ASSOCIATION 

More  than  in  all  honors,  successes  and  earthly 
delights  I  rejoice  now,  in  the  retrospect,  in  the 
good  opinion,  confidence  and  esteem  of  my  breth- 
ren in  the  ministry,  of  all  denominations,  as  ex- 
pressed by  their  repeated  official  action,  and  in 
many  personal  tributes,  as  well  as  in  the  follow- 
ing resolutions  adopted  Oct.  2,  1899,  by  the  Min- 
isterial Association  of  Binghamton: — 

"The  dedication,  two  weeks  hence,  of  a  new 
and  beautiful  temple,  built  by  the  West  Presby- 
terian Church  of  this  city,  under  the  inspiring 
leadership  of  its  pastor.  Rev.  Samuel  Dunham,  is 
an  event  which  seems,  for  several  reasons,  to  war- 
rant fraternal  notice  on  the  part  of  this  associa- 
tion of  ministers.  The  beautiful  church,  stand- 
ing on  one  of  our  principal  thoroughfares,  is  an 
ornament  to  our  city,  and  it  cannot  fail  to  add  to 
the  strength  of  our  common  Christianity.  To  un- 
dertake such  an  enterprise  required  no  ordinary 
faith,  to  carry  it  through  no  ordinary  devotion; 
and  while  we  accord  great  credit  and  heartiest 
congratulations  to  the  members  of  Brother  Dun- 
ham's congregation,  we  still  feel  that  the  largest 
meed  of  praise  is  due  to  their  pastor  and  leader. 

"Brother   Samuel   Dunham   has   been   the   es- 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     103 

teemed  pastor  of  this  church  for  more  than  a  quar- 
ter of  a  century,  and  the  church  has  steadily 
grown,  under  his  self-sacrificing  labors,  from  a 
society  that  was  small  and  weak  to  its  present  con- 
dition of  influence  and  strength.  By  his  purity 
of  life,  his  pastoral  devotion,  his  ministerial  effi- 
ciency, his  brotherliness  of  spirit  and  his  large- 
minded  Christian  charity.  Brother  Dunham  has 
not  only  endeared  himself  to  his  own  people,  but 
has  won  the  love  of  our  citizens  generally. 

"As  the  executive  officer  of  this  association  he 
has  always  discharged  his  duties  in  the  most  ad- 
mirable manner,  and  we  do  not  see  how  any  min- 
ister could  more  fully  possess  the  confidence  and 
esteem  of  his  ministerial  brethren. 

"Because  tributes  of  this  kind  are  usually  paid 
to  a  minister  only  when  he  dies,  or  is  removing  to 
a  new  field,  wc  deem  it  opportune  to  put  on  record 
an  expression  of  the  pleasure  we  have  in  antici- 
pating that  Brother  Dunham's  labors  are  likely, 
in  the  Providence  of  God,  to  be  long  continued 
in  this  city  which  has  learned  to  love  him,  and 
arc  hereafter  to  be  put  forth  amid  the  advantages 
accruing  from  a  larger  church  and  better  location. 

"Thinking  of  this  new  church  as  a  memorial 
to  his  sainted  wife,  we  acknowledge  with  tender 
hearts  the  fitness  of  such  a  tribute,  and  while  we 


104}     Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

again  extend  our  sympathies  to  Brother  Dunham 
in  the  repeated  bereavements  which  have  befallen 
him,  we,  at  the  same  time,  thank  our  Heavenly 
Father  for  the  grace  which  has  enabled  him  to 
serve  at  the  same  time  that  he  has  suffered,  and 
for  the  new  proof  afforded  in  this  beautiful  me- 
morial church  that  affliction  may  be  so  sanctified 
as  to  become  an  inspiration  to  those  who  meekly 
bear  it,  and  a  blessing  to  others  through  their  de- 
votion. 

''Brother  Dunham's  invitation  to  us  to  show  a 
friendly  interest  in  the  dedication  of  this  new 
church  is  cheerfully  accepted.  We  rejoice  that 
his  people  have  so  freely  laid  their  gifts  upon 
God's  altar,  and  we  share  with  him  the  earnest 
hope  that  their  liberality  and  sacrifice  will  abound 
yet  more  and  more  until  nothing  shall  be  lacking- 

"We  also  bespeak  in  behalf  of  this  enterprise 
the  grateful  appreciation  of  all  the  Christian  peo- 
ple in  our  city,  and  our  prayer  is  that  in  all  their 
future  work  God  may  bless  and  prosper  the  West 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  its  heroic  pastor,  accord- 
ing to  the  full  desire  of  their  own  hearts. 

"Henry  Tuckley, 
"G.  Parsons  Nichols, 
"John  W.  Phillips, 

''Committee, 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     105 

"These  resolutions  were  unanimously  adopted 
by  the  association.  They  were  ordered  engrossed, 
presented  to  Rev.  Mr.  Dunham,  and  a  copy  sent 
to  the  session  of  the  church  with  the  request  that 
they  be  spread  upon  the  minutes  of  that  body. 
It  was  also  voted  to  publish  them  in  the  papers." 

FAREWELL  TO  THE  OLD  CHURCH 

Sunday,  October  8,  1899,  was  fixed  upon  as 
the  day  for  the  farewell  service  in  the  old  sanc- 
tuary, and  the  valedictory  by  the  pastor. 

Of  this  service  the  local  papers  next  day  gave 
this  brief  account: 

"The  congregation  of  the  West  Presbyterian 
Church  held  its  final  service  in  the  old  church  on 
Chapin  Street  yesterday,  preparatory  to  moving 
into  the  new  building  at  Main  and  Walnut 
Streets.  There  was  an  overflowing  congregation, 
and  the  services  and  sermon  by  the  pastor,  the 
Rev.  Samuel  Dunham,  were  impressive. 

"In  his  sermon  Mr.  Dunham  dwelt  upon  the 
attachment  of  the  ancient  Jews  for  their  temples, 
taking  for  his  text  Psalm  137:5  and  6: — 'If  I 
forget  thee,  O  Jerusalem,  let  my  right  hand  for- 
get her  cunning.  If  I  do  not  remember  thee,  let 
my  tongue  cleave  to  the  roof  of  my  mouth;  if  I 
prefer  not  Jerusalem  above  my  chief  joy.'     The 


106    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

Jew's  deepest  love,  Mr.  Dunham  showed,  cen- 
tered in  his  temple.  Their  national  life,  from 
the  first,  was  intimately  associated  with  it.  'The 
true,  devout  Israelite,'  he  said,  'was  attached  to 
his  place  of  worship  as  with  bands  of  love  and 
hooks  of  steel.'  Mr.  Dunham  asked  why  the 
Christian  of  these  later  days  with  so  much  more 
reason,  should  not  be  even  more  attached  to  his 
place  of  worship.  He  showed  also  that  God 
loves  beauty,  beauty  in  architecture  as  well  as  in 
nature,  and  rewards  the  building  of  beautiful 
churches  to  His  glory. 

"In  closing  he  said: 

"  'Brethren  and  sisters,  my  dear  people :  We, 
this  morning,  bid  a  somewhat  sad  farewell  to  this 
dear  old  house  of  worship,  and  to  this  sacred  spot, 
hallowed  by  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  of 
the  most  loving  Christian  fellowship  and  self- 
denying  labors  together  for  Christ  and  the  souls 
of  men.  It  is  like  parting  from  a  very  dear  old 
friend.  It  is  almost  like  the  separation  of  a 
mother  from  the  child  she  loves.  But,  thank 
God!  it  is  not  all  sad  to-day.  Quite  otherwise. 
Had  we  spent  these  twenty-six  and  more  years 
together  here  without  avail,  toiling  in  vain;  bat- 
tling without  visible  result,  suffering  uniform 
defeat;    praying    without    gracious    answer,    and 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     107 

denying  ourselves  for  naught,  and,  at  the  end  of 
more  than  a  quarter  century,  been  compelled  to 
abandon  our  enterprise  as  hopeless,  and  to  quit 
this  sanctuary  as  a  God-forsaken  place,  resting 
under  the  frown  of  Heaven,  sad  indeed  would  be 
this  moment  of  parting. 

"  'But,  my  friends,  with  what  very  different 
thoughts  and  feelings  do  we  to-day  turn  our  backs 
upon  this,  our  beloved  church-home  I  We  all 
feel  and  know  that  this  consecrated  spot  whereon 
w^e  worship  for  the  last  time  to-day,  has  the  rare 
smell  of  a  field  which  God  hath  richly  and  repeat- 
edly blessed,  and  never  more  so  than  during  the 
last  year  and  a  half  or  two  years  while  we  have 
been  planning  and  executing  larger  things  for  the 
glory  of  God. 

"  'In  my  humble  judgment,  never  has  church 
building  ever  served  a  nobler  purpose  or  fulfilled 
a  grander  mission  than  has  this  pile  of  brick  and 
stone  and  mortar  wherein  we  are  now  assembled, 
and  which  was  solemnly  dedicated  and  again  re- 
dedicated  to  the  service  of  God  years  ago. 

"  'But,  the  time  has  now,  in  the  providence  of 
the  same  good  and  gracious  God  arrived  for  us 
to  cast  off  the  old  and  to  enter  the  new ;  to  forget 
the  past  and  to  stand  with  faces  squarely  fronting 
the  future, — a  future,  I  cannot  but  believe,  big 


108    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

with  hope,  and  richer  far  than  the  years  gone  by, 
in  blessing;  a  future,  we  fondly  hope  and  fer- 
vently pray,  to  be  crowned  and  glorified  with  the 
unceasing  presence  and  the  glorious  grace  of 
God. 

"  'If  it  did  not  seem  cruel  to  call  them  back 
from  their  brighter  home  in  the  heavenly  temple, 
I  90uld  wish  that  all  who  have  ever  enjoyed  this 
goodly  fellowship  with  us  here  in  the  years  that 
are  past, — all  the  loved  ones  who  have  laid  down 
their  earthly  work  and  linger  no  longer  here  in 
earthly  temples, — might  be  permitted  to  accom- 
pany us  into  the  beautiful  new  edifice,  and  par- 
take with  us  in  all  its  glad  songs  and  services,  its 
sweet  fellowships,  and  its  anticipated  spiritual 
blessings. 

"  'So,  with  our  sadness  and  with  our  tears  that 
cannot  be  repressed,  we  will  devoutly  thank  God 
and  take  courage,  going  forward  ever  in  the 
strength  of  our  God,  and  saying  to  our  dear  old 
sanctuary  a  somewhat  regretful,  and  yet  a  most 
affectionate  farewell.' 

"In  conclusion  Mr.  Dunham  read  a  poem  en- 
titled The  Old  Church  is  for  Sale.'  " 

In  full  sympathy  with  the  mingled  emotions 
that  are  filling  many  of  our  hearts  at  this  moment, 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     109 

are  these  quaint  but  true  and  tender  lines,  which 
I  wish  to  repeat  in  closing,  touching 

THE  OLD  CHURCH  IS  FOR  SALE 

I've  worshiped  there  for  many  a  year — they  never  seen 

me  fail, 
But  now  they've  come  an'  told  me  that  the  old  church  is 

for  sale ! 
The  auctioneer  is  ready  an'  they're  goin'  to  let  her  go — 
The  old  church  where  we  praised  the  Lord  from  whom 

all  blessin's  flow  I 

I  jest  can't  help  the  heartbeat — the  mist  that's  round  my 

eyes — 
For  there  I  read  my  titles  clear  to  mansions  in  the  skies; 
An'  there,  in  years  that  had  their  tears,  I  found  salvation 

free — 
And  knew  that  sweet  amazin'  grace  that  saved  a  wretch 

like  me. 

I  knowed  the   "amen   corner" — I  knowed   the   "anxious 

seat" — 
An'  when  the  organ  shook  the  walls,  or  died  in  music 

sweet, 
Like  a  little  child  a  dreamin',  I  closed  my  old  eyes  there, 
An'  my  soul  went  up  to  heaven  on  the  wings  of  love  an.' 

praj^er. 

There  was   sweetest   consolation   in   the  holy,   heavenly 

calm 
That  led  us  into  Gilead,  where  we   found  the  healin' 

balm; 


110    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

'Twas  there  we  glimpsed  the  beauty  of  a  better,  brighter 
sky 

That  bent  o'er  Canaan's  happy  land,  where  our  posses- 
sions lie. 

But  the  old  church  now  is  throwed  aside — they're  build- 
in'  of  a  new. 

But  the  same  salvation's  in  it — thank  the  Lord !  for  me 
and  you. 

But  no  matter  how  they  build  it,  my  heart  will  always  go 

To  the  old  church  where  we  praised  the  Lord  from  whom 
all  blessin's  flow ! 

The  following  Sunday  morning  (October  15, 
1899),  the  first  public  service  was  held  in  the  new 
edifice.  It  was  of  the  nature  of  a  prayer  and 
praise  service  with  a  brief  address  by  the  pastor, 
and  proved  an  occasion  of  deep  interest  and  heart- 
felt gratitude  to  God. 

Following  this  service  the  Sunday  School,  in 
unusual  numbers,  convened  in  its  new  quarters, 
and  the  classes  were  assigned  their  places.  In  the 
evening  of  the  same  Sunday,  the  West  Church 
united  with  the  Tabernacle  M.  E.  Church  in  spe- 
cial services  preparatory  to  a  series  of  union  evan- 
gelistic meetings. 

Four  addresses  were  delivered,  on  the  follow- 
ing themes :  By  Rev.  Dr.  A.  W.  Hayes  on  "The 
Warrant" ;  by  Dr.  Geo.  F.  Hand  on  "The  Divine 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     111 

Element";  by  Rev.  Samuel  Dunham  on  "The 
Human  Element";  and  by  Hon.  W.  J.  Welsh  on 
"The  Fruits  of  a  Revival  of  Religion." 

DEDICATION  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH 

The  next  day, — Monday  evening,  October  16, 
1899, — was  Dedication  Day.  The  occasion 
brought  together  an  immense  throng,  over  1,700 
people  being  present  to  witness  the  impressive 
services. 

Appreciative  notices  appeared  the  following 
day  in  all  the  local  papers,  from  which  we  make 
some  extracts. 

"The  edifice  presented  a  beautiful  appearance. 
Palms,  potted  plants  and  flowers  formed  the  dec- 
orations of  the  church,  which  with  its  harmonious 
fittings  and  brilliant  lighting,  made  a  handsome 
appearance.  From  the  arch  over  the  pulpit  a 
row  of  electric  lights  threw  their  illumination 
upon  the  organ  and  the  choir,  with  pretty  effect. 
Portraits  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dunham,  recently  pre- 
sented to  the  church  and  which  hang  near  the  rear 
of  the  building,  were  decked  with  white  and  pink 
carnations,  and  on  the  frame  of  Mrs.  Dunham's 
were  draped  white  satin  ribbons,  with  the  words, 
'In  Loving  Memory,'  and  'I.  H.  N.'  Among  the 
ministers  who  had  seats  on  the  platform  or  else- 


112    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

where  were:  The  Rev.  G.  Parsons  Nichols, 
D.D.,  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church;  the  Rev. 
Edward  Taylor,  D.D.,  the  Rev.  John  McVey, 
D.D.,  of  the  North  Presbyterian;  the  Rev.  John 
MacLachlan,  of  Immanuel  Presbyterian;  the  Rev. 
A.  W.  Hayes,  D.D.,  of  the  Tabernacle  M.  E.;  the 
Rev.  Nacy  McGee  Waters,  of  the  First  Congre- 
gational ;  the  Rev.  A.  D.  Stowell ;  the  Rev.  W.  A. 
Dunning;  the  Rev.  Depugh  Griffiths,  of  Conklin 
Avenue  Baptist;  the  Rev.  A.  D.  Decker,  of  Clin- 
ton Street  M.  E.;  the  Rev.  John  B.  Sumner,  of 
Oak  Street  M.  E. ;  the  Rev.  Thomas  Clayton,  of 
Plymouth  Congregational;  the  Rev.  Daniel  Mil- 
ler, of  the  German  Evangelical;  the  Rev.  C.  S. 
Dewing,  of  Boston,  Mass.;  the  Rev  G.  Flavel 
Humphreys,  of  Nineveh;  the  Rev.  Samuel  John- 
son, formerly  of  Sidney;  the  Rev.  I.  P.  Emerick, 
of  Conklin;  the  Rev.  W.  J.  Hill,  of  Wilkesbarre. 
"The  services  began  at  7 130  o'clock  with  a 
prelude,  'Offertoire  St.  Cecelia,'  played  upon  the 
great  organ  by  the  builder,  Frank  Beman,  and 
which  showed  the  possibilities  of  the  instrument 
well.  The  Doxology  was  sung  by  the  congrega- 
tion, and  the  Rev.  Thomas  Clayton  made  the  in- 
vocation. The  choir,  trained  by  C.  B.  Starr,  sang 
with  fine  effect  Gounod's  'Send  Out  Thy  Light,' 
with  Mrs.  C.  A.  Ball,  the  church  organist,  accom- 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     113 

panying.  Psalms  loo  and  122  were  read  re- 
sponsively,  the  Rev.  C.  S.  Dewing,  of  Boston, 
leading,  in  the  absence  of  the  Rev.  D.  N.  Grum- 
mon.  After  the  Gloria  Patri,  by  the  choir,  the 
Rev.  Depugh  Griffiths  led  the  congregation  in  the 
Lord's  prayer. 

DEDICATORY    SERMON. 

"  'How  Did  My  Heart  Rejoice  to  Hear'  was 
sung,  and  Mr.  Dunham  introduced  the  Rev. 
George  F.  Pentecost,  D.D.,  of  Yonkers,  who  gave 
the  dedicatory  sermon  from  the  text  found  in  the 
18th  chapter  of  Matthew,  the  20th  verse: 
'Where  two  or  three  are  gathered  together  in  my 
name,  there  am  I  in  the  midst  of  them.' 

"  'The  point  of  chief  importance  upon  the  in- 
teresting occasion  which  has  called  us  together 
to-night,'  he  said,  'is  not  the  beautiful  edifice  in 
which  we  now  gather;  neither  is  it  the  ecclesias- 
tical body  of  which  this  church  is  a  unit.  It  is 
rather  the  result  of  that  getting  together  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  which  we  speak 
of  as  His  church.  When  our  Lord  was  on  earth 
there  was  no  church  as  we  understand  it  to-day; 
no  ecclesiastical  organizations  such  as  we  now 
have.  There  was  a  church  composed  of  those 
who  believed  and  had  gathered  about  Him.' 


114    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

"Dr.  Pentecost  called  attention  to  the  discus- 
sions which  have  arisen  in  modern  times  as  to 
what  shall  be  called  the  Church  and  the  True 
Presence,  and  said  that  his  text  was  the  definition 
of  the  church  and  of  the  true  presence.  Whether 
it  be  in  the  cathedral  or  in  the  forest,  in  the  midst 
of  the  ocean  or  on  the  western  plain,  where  two 
or  three  are  gathered  and  God  is  there,  there  is  a 
church. 

"The  speaker  emphasized  the  word  'gathered,' 
and  said  that  a  church  is  not  a  mere  aggregation 
of  people,  but  it  is  called  together  by  the  leading 
of  God.  'There  are  countries  in  Europe,'  he  said, 
'in  which  all  the  people  are  put  into  the  "church" 
by  law.  Why,  all  the  czars,  and  all  the  kings, 
and  all  the  emperors  banded  together  are  as  pow- 
erless to  make  a  church  as  they  are  to  destroy  it !' 
The  two  or  three,  further,  must  be  gathered  to- 
gether 'In  My  name.' 

"Rev.  Dr.  Nacy  McGee  Waters  offered  a  brief 
prayer  and  the  hymn,  'Arise,  O  King  of  Grace  I 
Arise,'  was  sung,  Rev.  John  B.  Sumner  making 
the  announcement. 

"Then  came  one  of  the  most  interesting  fea- 
tures of  the  evening,  an  address  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Dunham,  in  which  he  related  the  growth  of  the 
building  project.     Mr.  Dunham  paid  a  glowing 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     115 

tribute  to  the  work  of  the  board  of  trustees,  most 
of  whom  are  young  men,  and  who,  he  said,  pos- 
sess 'pluck,  grit,  brains  and  executive  ability  of 
no  mean  order.' 

"He  explained  that  with  the  exception  of  the 
large  window  on  the  Main  Street  front,  all  of 
the  available  windows  in  the  church  are  either 
memorials  or  gifts. 

MEMORIAL  WINDOWS 

"  'Beginning  at  my  right,'  he  said,  'on  the  west 
side,  this  beautiful  large  arched  window  above  the 
gallery,  is  in  memory  of  Edward  Barton,  one  of 
the  original  members  of  this  church,  who  died 
some  six  months  after  the  church  was  organized. 
The  group  of  five  windows  beneath  the  Barton 
window  are  in  memory  of  Reuben  Beebe,  Geo. 
W.  Gardiner,  Chas.  E.  Baldwin,  esq.,  Mary  S. 
Darby,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wm.  Fairchild.  The  dou- 
ble window  at  the  right  of  the  pulpit  (below  and 
above  the  gallery)  is  a  memorial  to  Joseph  M. 
Smith  (elder  in  the  First  Church)  and  Emma 
Smith.  The  double  window  opposite  on  my  left 
is  in  memory  of  Zenus  Barnum  and  Caroline  E. 
Barnum.  This  large  window  on  the  east  side,  at 
my  left,  above  the  gallery,  is  designed  as  a 
memorial  to  Mrs.  Dunham  and  four  children.     It 


116    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

is  the  gift  of  personal  friends,  mostly  outside  the 
city. 

"  'The  group  of  five  windows  beneath  are  in 
memory  of  Morgan  L.  Barnes,  Isaac  A.  Finney 
and  O.  Z.  Brown,  elders  in  this  church;  Mary 
Finney  Brown,  Nettie  Finney  Morey,  and  her 
son,  Giles  W.  Morey,  and  Mason  J.  McPherson. 
The  next  double  window  (on  the  west  side)  is  a 
gift  of  our  Ladies'  Industrial  Society. 

"  'The  three  square  windows  beneath  the 
arched  entrance  (east  side),  and  opening  into  the 
chapel,  are  gifts  of  the  King's  Daughters,  the 
Christian  Endeavor  Society  and  the  Junior  En- 
deavor Society,  the  windows  bearing  the  appro- 
priate emblems  of  these  young  people's  societies. 
On  the  opposite  side  of  the  chapel  (west  side) 
also  are  two  double  windows,  gifts  of  the  Chris- 
tian Endeavor  Society  and  the  King's  Daughters. 
Opening  into  the  same  room  on  the  west,  is  the 
memorial  window  of  Mary  Birdsall  Musson. 
On  the  south  side  of  the  same  room  is  a  window 
in  memory  of  Stephen  Walter  Hand,  son  of  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  George  F.  Hand.  Then,  finally,  di- 
rectly fronting  Main  Street,  beneath  the  large 
window  is  a  group  of  five  windows,  the  central 
one  a  gift  from  our  Sunday  School,  the  other  four 
in  memory  of  Deacon  Edward  B.  Whitney,  Mary 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     117 

Kellogg  Thompson,   Luther  Jenison,   Libbie   B. 
Seabury.' 

TOTAL    COST    OF    CHURCH. 

"Mr.  Dunham  announced  that  the  total  cost  of 
the  church,  the  lot  and  furnishings  had  been 
$52,100,  and  that  there  was  a  balance  of  $12,- 
239.74  s^ill  ^^  ^^  paid.  'That  is  what  we  wish 
to  provide  for  to-night,'  he  said." 

Then  there  came  an  unexpected  turn  of  affairs 
when  Mr.  L.  A.  Osgood,  Secretary  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees,  arose  and  read  the  following  gratify- 
ing communication,  which  came  as  a  total  surprise 
to  nearly  all  present: 

A  WEIGHTY  COMMUNICATION  AND 
SURPRISE 

''To  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  West  Presby- 
terian Church,  Binghamton,  N.  Y.: 
"Brothers:  After  a  thorough  discussion  with 
Mr.  Dunham,  of  our  present  financial  condition, 
we  agree  that  the  spiritual  growth  and  prosperity 
of  our  church  will  suffer  from  the  debt  now  upon 
it. 

"Mr.  Dunham  has  contributed  already  more 
than  any  one  else,  yet  in  view  of  the  above  fact, 
he  is  seriously  considering  making  an  enormous 
personal  sacrifice,  that  the  church  may  immedi- 


118    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

ately  upon  its  dedication  begin  an  aggressive  work 
of  salvation  unhampered.  He  has  confidentially 
given  me  his  financial  condition,  and  I  want  to 
say  that  for  him  to  make  any  further  sacrifice 
would  be  to  risk  the  ordinary  comforts  and  care 
incident  to  old  age,  especially  since  being  bereft 
of  any  living  arm  to  lean  upon  that  he  can  call 
his  own  by  right  of  kinship. 

"Twenty-seven  years  of  faithful  service  as  pas- 
tor of  the  West  Church  alone  entitles  Mr.  Dun- 
ham to  some  special  consideration.  Add  to  this 
his  generous  rebates  of  salary  year  after  year,  and 
we  are  under  no  small  obligations  to  him  from  a 
financial  standpoint.  Then  recall  his  life  work 
here  of  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  and  we 
must  frankly  admit  that  he  has  contributed 
largely  by  personal  effort,  moral  and  financial 
support  to  make  the  religious,  educational  and 
home  life  of  Binghamton  as  good  as  it  is.  Com- 
ing here  with  his  little  family  in  1873  he  has 
rounded  out  every  year  with  service  and  sacrifice 
second  to  no  other  local  pastor.  His  sad  experi- 
ences for  a  few  years  are  so  full-  of  pathos  one 
hesitates  to  refer  to  them.  Looking  over  these 
years  of  manifest  service  I  am  led  to  believe  that 
our  church  and  every  Christian  citizen  will  heart- 
ily agree  with  me  that  some  recognition  of  his  life 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     119 

work  here  should  be  made  by  this  church  at  this 
time. 

"I  feel  that  Mr.  Dunham  should  not  be  forced, 
or  ever  permitted,  to  seek  a  home  outside  of  Bing- 
hamton.  On  yonder  slope  rests  all  that  men  hold 
most  dear,  the  dust  of  all  his  famil}^  To  fre- 
quent that  spot  will  be  a  most  blessed  privilege 
in  his  declining  years.  Shall  we  not  make  it  pos- 
sible for  him  to  do  this  until  he  shall  rest  beside 
them?  In  consideration  of  the  above,  I  believe 
we  should  hqartily  and  unanimously  act  favor- 
ably upon  the  proposition  which  follows : 

"Mr.  Dunham  and  the  writer  will  contribute 
$10,000  ($5,000  each)  upon  the  following  con- 
ditions : 

"First — That  the  proposed  pledges  for  $8,000 
be  increased  to  at  least  $10,000  and  the  time  ex- 
tended from  October  15,  1901,  to  January  1, 
1903,  and  the  pledge  to  be  interest  bearing  at  4 
per  cent,  until  paid. 

"Second — That  the  seats  of  the  new  church 
shall  always  be  free,  with  the  distinct  understand- 
ing, that  all  regular  contributors  shall  be  entitled 
to  select  permanent  sittings  and  may  retain  such 
seat,  year  after  year,  so  long  as  they  shall  occupy 
the  same  and  make  regular  contributions  during 
each  year  for  the  support  of  the  church. 


120    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

''Third — (Which  condition  is  made  by  the 
writer  and  which  I  hoped  could  be  made  a  sur- 
prise to  Mr.  Dunham,  but  circumstances  made  it 
necessary  for  me  to  advise  him  of  the  plan)  viz.: 
That  upon  the  completion  of  his  active  pastorate, 
Mr.  Dunham  be  made  'pastor  emeritus'  of  the 
West  Church.  That  his  active  pastorate  termi- 
nate at  such  time  as  may  be  mutually  agreed 
upon.  That  he  be  paid  a  stipulated  sum,  annu- 
ally, during  his  life,  and  this  obligation  shall  be 
regarded  as  the  most  binding  debt  of  the  church. 

"Fourth — The  writer  will  lend  the  church 
whatever  money  may  be  required  on  mortgage  for 
the  term  of  ten  years  at  4  per  cent,  annual  inter- 
est, payable  semi-annually,  with  the  privilege  of 
paying  $500  at  any  interest  day. 

"If  all  these  conditions  are  carried  out,  we  will 
have  a  smaller  financial  burden  to  carry  than  ever 
before  in  twenty-seven  years.  There  will  be 
nothing  in  the  way  of  entering  upon  the  most  ac- 
tive Christian  work  ever  undertaken  by  a  church 
of  our  denomination  in  this  city.  We  can,  in  the 
near  future,  safely  call  a  strong  young  man  as 
associate  pastor,  allowing  Mr.  Dunham  to  give 
a  good  share  of  his  time  to  pastoral  visits  and  face 
to  face  work  for  which  he  is  so  admirably 
equipped.     This  matter  has  been  on  my  heart  and 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     121 

mind  for  a  long  time  and  it  seems  to  me  it  solves 
every  problem,  financial  and  pastoral,  and  places 
us  in  a  position  to  engage  in  the  Lord's  business 
with  little  if  anything  in  the  way  of  a  wonderful 
work  of  grace  in  our  new  church  at  the  very  out- 
set." * 

SANG    THE    DOXOLOGY. 

"Mr.  Osgood  stated  that  the  church  officers 
had  unanimously  endorsed  the  offer.  Dr.  Taylor 
made  a  touching  and  impromptu  address  in  rela- 
tion to  Mr.  Dunham's  services.  The  pastor  then 
asked  for  a  contribution  to  wipe  out  the  $2,000 
still  remaining  to  be  paid,  and  pledge  cards  were 
distributed  among  the  congregation.  When  they 
were  collected  it  was  announced  that  $2,367  had 
been  pledged,  while  the  amount  required  was  only 
$2,239.  Pledges  of  $115  more  were  later  re- 
ceived, and  there  are  many  others  still  to  come  in. 

"  'The  amount  is  sufficient  to  extinguish  the 
entire  debt,'  said  Mr.  Dunham,  'for  the  first  time 
in  the  history  of  the  society,'  and  the  congregation 
rose  and  sang  the  Doxology. 

THE    FORMAL    DEDICATION. 

"The    formal    dedication    followed,    the    Rev. 

*  The  above  letter  was  without  signature,  but  it  soon  came  to 
be  generally  understood  that  its  author  was  Mr.  L.  M.  Bowers. 


122     Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

John  MacLachlan  reading  the  Scriptures,  i  Kings 
8:22-30,  1  Kings  9:1-3,  and  the  people  and  pastor 
joining  in  responsive  reading,  closing  with:  'This 
house^  which  we  have  been  permitted,  to  build 
through  the  gracious  favor  of  divine  providence^ 
we  do  now  solemnly  dedicate  to  the  worship  and 
service  of  Almighty  God^  the  Father,  the  Son  and 
the  Holy  Ghost.     Amen.' 

"After  'Holy,  Holy,  Holy'  had  been  sung,  the 
Rev.  Dr.  G.  Parsons  Nichols  offered  the  dedica- 
tory prayer,  the  dedicatory  hymn,  'O  Thou,  Whose 
Own  Vast  Temple  Stands,'  was  sung  b}^  the  choir, 
and  the  Rev.  A.  D.  Stowell  pronounced  the  bene- 
diction. The  organ  postlude  was  by  Mr.  Be- 
man." 

The  following  day  the  papers  announced  that 
"To  the  glory  of  God  and  in  loving  memory  of 
Mrs.  Sarah  M.  Dunham,"  and  without  a  cent  of 
debt  hanging  over  it,  the  beautiful  stone  home  of 
the  West  Presbyterian  Church,  at  Main  and  Wal- 
nut Streets,  was  dedicated.  There  were  1,700 
people  present  to  witness  the  inspiring  dedicatory 
services.  The  pleasantest  feature  of  the  evening 
was  the  announcement  of  gifts  of  $10,000,  which, 
with  an  offering  of  over  $2,000,  made  by  the  con- 
gregation on  the  spot,  cleared  the  church  entirely 
of  debt,  and  this  notwithstanding  the  fact  that 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     123 

before  the  work  of  erecting  the  magnificent  new 
church  was  undertaken,  there  was  a  debt  of  over 
$6,000  upon  the  old  building.  Rev.  Samuel 
Dunham  and  another  person,  whose  name  is  not 
revealed,  are  the  ones  meriting  all  praise  for  this, 
as  they  donated  $5,000  each  for  that  purpose,  in 
addition  to  the  $2,000  previously  subscribed  by 
each  of  them.  It  was  a  great  night  for  the  church 
and  for  the  pastor." 

JUBILEE  NIGHT 

The  evening  of  October  17  was  given  up  to 
jubilee  services.  Songs  of  praise,  words  of  con- 
gratulation from  sister  churches,  stirring  addresses 
by  several  pastors,  and  a  profoundly  earnest  serv- 
ice of  consecration  led  by  Dr.  Edward  Taylor, 
were  the  features  of  the  jubilee's  exercises. 

"After  an  organ  prelude  by  Mrs.  Charles  A. 
Ball,  Rev.  Charles  H.  Kilmer  of  Breesport  of- 
fered prayer  and  Rev.  I.  P.  Emerick  of  Conklin 
led  in  the  responsive  reading  of  the  twenty-sev- 
enth Psalm.  Simpson's  anthem,  T  Will  Feed 
My  Flock,'  was  then  sung  with  spirit  and  tuneful- 
ness that  were  impressive.  Rev.  I.  N.  Shipman 
implored  the  blessing  of  God  on  the  service  to 
follow.  By  special  request,  the  male  quartet  of 
the  West  Church,  composed  of  B.  A.  Baumann, 


124    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

C.  S.  and  W.  A.  Miller  and  Frank  Snyder,  fa- 
vored the  audience  with  a  selection,  singing  'Jubi- 
late Deo'  in  a  pleasing  manner. 

"'The  pastor.  Rev.  Samuel  Dunham,  then  made 
announcement  of  the  union  evangelistic  services 
to  begin  the  next  evening  in  the  West  church, 
after  which  he  read  letters  of  fraternal  greeting 
and  congratulations  from  Revs.  Frederick  Per- 
kins, M.  J.  Bieber  and  Dr.  Henry  Tuckley  of 
this  city  and  Rev.  W.  J.  Gregory,  pastor  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  at  Nichols,  also  one  from  a 
friend  in  the  laity,  John  Anderson,  of  Trinity 
Memorial  Church. 

''Dr.  John  McVey  then  gave  the  greeting  of 
what  he  styled  the  West  church's  elder  sister,  the 
congregational  body  of  the  North  church,  and 
followed  it  with  earnest  words  of  commendation 
of  Mr.  Dunham's  faith  and  courage  which  had 
ever  been  equal  to  his  convictions,  speaking  par- 
ticularly of  the  wise  planning  and  the  rich  fruit- 
age of  the  two  years  of  service  and  sacrifice  shown 
in  the  beautiful  new  church.  The  doctor  also 
commended  the  erection  of  the  edifice  in  the  mem- 
ory of  a  worthy  Christian  wife,  mother  and  friend, 
Mrs.  Sarah  M.  Dunham,  and  closed  with  a 
prophecy  of  still  greater  blessings  for  the  pastor 
and  people  of  the  West  church. 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     125 

"Dr.  L.  M.  S.  Haynes,  who  followed  Dr.  Mc- 
Vey,  assured  the  members  of  the  West  church  that 
his  brethren  of  the  Main  Street  Baptist  Church 
rejoiced  with  them  in  the  erection  of  so  beautiful 
a  house  of  worship  on  the  west  side  of  the  city,  and 
expressed  the  hope  that  his  people  might  some  day 
'go  and  do  likewise.'  Speaking  in  a  more  serious 
vein,  Dr.  Haynes  said:  'To  inherit  a  spiritual 
patrimony  is  an  occasion  of  pride  to  a  pastor ;  but 
when  a  man  of  God  starts  with  a  little  church  and 
a  debt  of  $16,000  and,  by  quiet,  persevering  work, 
reaches  such  a  magnificent  consummation  of  his 
planning,  he  is  indeed  worthy  of  warmest  words 
of  congratulation.  We  have  our  hero  in  the  min- 
istry in  Binghamton  in  Mr.  Dunham,  and  this 
wonderful  occasion  is  his  triumph.' 

"Dr.  A.  W.  Hayes  extended  to  the  new  church 
the  hearty  congratulations  of  the  people  of  the 
Tabernacle.  He  then  drew  an  impressive  lesson 
upon  the  immeasurable  influence  of  faithful,  de- 
voted service,  and  in  the  beautiful  edifice  he  urged 
Pastor  Dunham's  flock  'to  ever  seek  to  see  God's 
hand  and  a  trophy  of  His  grace,  for  the  day  must 
come  when  your  beloved  leader  will  rest  from  his 
labors ;  yet  the  edifice  will  remain  and  the  blessed 
wooing  of  the  spirit  of  the  same  Jesus  will  con- 
tinue its  holy  work.' 


126     Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

"Dr.  Edward  Taylor,  who  followed  Dr.  Hayes, 
never  spoke  in  a  deeper  spirit  of  earnestness  than 
last  evening.  The  church  was  all  right,  said  he, 
if  it  was  baptized  with  the  spirit  of  God.  With 
its  larger  opportunities  and  more  adequate  equip- 
ment, he  believed,  should  come  a  truer  conception 
of  the  true  power  and  dignity  of  the  church.  In 
this  connection  he  observed  that  what  the  clergy 
and  laity  had  said  was  beautiful,  'but  what  does 
God  say,  what  is  the  heavenly  host  saying  about 
this  jubilee'?  How  are  the  angels  speaking  about 
it?  You  have  reached  a  period  of  intensest  grav- 
ity; do  not  let  your  soul  starve  in  the  midst  of 
abundance,  but  assimilate  the  bread  of  life  here 
offered  you.' 

''In  his  usual  impressive  manner  he  urged  the 
taking  up  of  heavier  burdens  'in  the  Master's  be- 
half, now  that  the  society  has  so  gloriously  en- 
larged its  field  of  usefulness.'  'Impossible'  he 
regarded  as  a  vanished  word  since  Mr.  Dunham 
had  so  marvelously  paid  the  debt  of  the  old 
church  and  built  a  new  one  with  no  existing  in- 
debtedness. He  pleaded  most  earnestly  that  the 
Gillam  meetings  be  made  'the  grandest  ever  held 
here.' 

"An  earnest  prayer  of  consecration,  the  singing 
of  a  hymn,  'Tell  Me  the  Old,  Old  Story,'  and  the 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     127 

benediction,  pronounced  by  Dr.  McVey,  brought 
the  jubilee  service  to  an  impressive  close." 

EVANGELISTIC  SERVICES 

The  following  evening,  Oct.  18,  a  series  of 
evangelistic  meetings  was  commenced,  in  which 
the  Tabernacle  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
heartily  united  under  the  leadership  of  their  pas- 
tor. Rev.  Dr.  Hayes.  These  services  were  suc- 
cessfully conducted  by  the  evangelist,  Rev.  Ralph 
Gillam,  assisted  by  O.  W.  Crowell,  soloist,  and 
director  of  the  large  union  chorus  choir.  The 
meetings  continued  daily  for  some  two  weeks,,  and 
proved  very  effective,  and  resulted  in  much  good, 
in  which  a  number  of  the  churches  of  the  city 
shared. 

In  December  of  the  following  year,  also,  the 
Rev.  Dr.  John  H.  Elliott  of  New  York,  and  Rev. 
F.  H.  Jacobs,  the  noter  singer  and  choir  leader, 
spent  a  few  days  with  us. 

Their  earnest  efforts  were  attended  with  excel- 
lent results  in  the  spiritual  quickening  of  the 
church,  although  their  labors  were  of  too  short 
duration  for  the  best  effect,  or  the  realization  of 
any  large  ingathering  of  converts. 

In  this  connection  we  may  properly  refer  to  the 
leading  part  the  West  church  has  always  borne 


128    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

in  all  the  beneficent  Union  organizations  of  the 
city,  and  to  its  prominent  connection  with  the 
various  moral  and  religious  movements  and  re- 
forms. Temperance,  the  Sabbath,  the  Bible, 
evangelism,  revivals,  missions,  have  always  found 
in  the  membership  of  the  West  church  staunch 
supporters  and  defenders.  Of  our  record  in  all 
these  respects  we  have  little  reason  to  be  ashamed. 

MISSIONARY  TO  JAPAN 

An  event  of  peculiar  interest  to  the  church  and 
the  community,  belonging  to  this  period,  was  the 
departure  of  Miss  Julia  E.  Hand,  daughter  of 
Dr.  George  F.  Hand,  for  her  field  of  labor  in  the 
city  of  Yokohama,  Japan. 

On  Tuesday  evening,  Sept.  25,  1900,  a  fare- 
well reception  was  held  for  Miss  Hand  in  the 
church  parlors.  The  occasion  brought  together 
a  large  gathering  of  friends  not  only  from  the 
West  church  in  which  Miss  Hand  had  grown  up 
from  her  childhood,  but  also  from  many  of  the 
other  churches  of  the  city.  Those  who  received 
were  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Geo.  F,  Hand,  Miss  Julia  E. 
Hand,  and  Mr.  Dunham,  the  pastor.  The  ush- 
ers were  Mrs.  L.  A.  Osgood,  Mrs.  Charles  A.  Ball, 
Miss  Emma  Bush  and  Miss  Caroline  E.  Bamum. 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     129 

A  short  programme  was  given  consisting  mainly 
of  the  singing  of  missionary  hymns  by  the  church 
choir,  and  informal  remarks  by  Miss  Hand  and 
the  pastor. 

Light  refreshments  were  served  by  the  ladies 
of  the  church  in  a  room  specially  fitted  up  for  the 
purpose.  Soft  lights  were  thrown  from  Japanese 
lanterns  suspended  from  the  ceiling,  and  on  all 
sides  Japanese  decorations  gave  the  room  a  dis- 
tinctly Oriental  appearance.  The  scene  was  one 
not  soon  to  be  forgotten. 

The  following  Sunday  evening,  September 
30th,  an  occasion  of  yet  deeper  and  more  tender 
interest  was  the  farewell  service  held  in  the  audi- 
torium of  the  church.  A  large  congregation  as- 
sembled to  listen  to  the  final  address  of  Miss 
Hand  previous  to  her  leaving  the  city  for  her  mis- 
sion field. 

The  pastor  had  charge  of  the  services,  and  made 
a  brief  address,  tendering  to  Miss  Hand,  in  be- 
half of  the  congregation,  the  congratulations, 
good  wishes,  prayers  and  affectionate  interest  of 
all  present.  The  choir  rendered  appropriate 
music,  the  closing  hymns  being,  "Blest  Be  the 
Tie  That  Binds"  and  "God  Be  With  You  Till 
We  Meet  Again." 


130    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  service  the  congrega- 
tion filed  past  the  platform  and  bade  Miss  Hand 
an  affectionate  farewell. 

After  six  years  of  effective  and  successful  la- 
bors as  superintendent  of  a  native  Bible  training 
school,  for  which  she  was  admirably  fitted  by 
previous  training  and  experience,  Miss  Hand  re- 
turned home  for  a  vacation,  and  was  accorded  an 
enthusiastic  reception  by  the  people  of  the  West 
church  on  July  6,  1906. 

Under  a  canopy  of  American  flags  the  numer- 
ous guests  were  greeted  by  the  reception  commit- 
tee, consisting  of  Miss  Hand,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hand, 
Rev.  Dr.  Edwin  F.  Hallenbeck,  and  Rev.  and 
Mrs.  Samuel  Dunham. 

During  the  months  following  her  return  to  this 
country,  Miss  Hand  rendered  valuable  service  in 
many  churches  and  missionary  gatherings  by  her 
inspiring  addresses. 

Instead  of  returning  to  Japan  to  resume  her 
work,  having  had  an  urgent  call  to  remain  in 
her  native  land,  she  contracted  a  happy  matri- 
monial alliance,  and  became  known  as  Mrs.  F.  S. 
Bronson,  of  Geneva,  N.  Y. 

PASTOR'S  MESSAGE  TO  HIS  PEOPLE 

The   following   communication,    looking   to   a 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     131 

change  and  readjustment  of  the  pastoral  relation, 
was  read  by  the  pastor  on  Sunday  morning,  April 
14,  1901,  at  the  close  of  the  sermon: 

"To  the  Congregation  of  the  West  Presbyterian 

Church,  Binghamton: 

''My  Dear  People:  Carrying  out  a  purpose 
which  has  been  forming  in  my  own  mind  for  a 
number  of  months  past,  last  Sunday  I  laid  before 
the  session  of  the  church,  jointly  meeting  with 
the  Board  of  Trustees  and  Deacons,  for  substance 
the  following  communication,  which  it  is  but 
right  and  proper  I  should  now  make  known  to 
you: 

"More  than  a  year  ago,  a  few  months  after  the 
completion  and  occupancy  of  our  new  church  edi- 
fice, I  submitted  to  the  Session  the  question 
whether  the  time  had  not  then  arrived  when,  by 
reason  of  the  greatly  increased  pastoral  labors, 
and  the  present  pastor's  long  term  of  service,  it 
might  not  be  wise  for  the  church  in  pursuance  of 
a  plan  considered  some  months  before,  either  to 
secure  the  services  of  an  assistant  or  associate  pas- 
tor, whose  principal  function  should  be  that  of 
preacher,  having  full  responsibility  for  all  public 
services,  and  acting  also  to  some  extent  as  as- 
sistant in  pastoral  work,  or  to  allow  me  to  retire 


132    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

altogether  from  the  active  duties  of  the  pastorate, 
and,  in  accordance  with  the  offer,  unanimously 
indorsed  by  the  officers  of  both  church  and  so- 
ciety, and  by  the  society  itself,  accept  the  hon- 
orary position  of  'Pastor  Emeritus,'  upon  the 
terms  previously  proposed  and  accepted. 

''This  proposition  of  mine  met  with  no  favor 
in  the  Session,  the  feeling,  freely  expressed,  being 
that  the  time  was  not  yet  ripe,  nor  the  way  clear, 
for  such  a  step. 

"But,  for  several  months  past,  especially  amid 
the  extraordinary  demands  and  unceasing  pres- 
sure of  pulpit  and  parish  work  during  the  past 
Winter,  the  impression  has  been  deepening  with 
me  that  some  action  of  the  kind  referred  to  ought, 
ere  long,  to  be  seriously  considered  as  a  measure 
of  relief. 

"Accordingly,  at  the  last  regular  meeting  of 
the  Session,  held  several  weeks  ago,  I  went  pre- 
pared and  fully  intending  to  open  up  the  sub- 
ject, and  to  declare  my  convictions  in  reference 
to  it.  But,  owing  to  the  lateness  of  the  hour  of 
meeting  and  the  number  of  other  urgent  matters 
of  business  demanding  immediate  attention,  it  had 
to  be  deferred. 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     133 

TO    RENEW    PROPOSITION. 

"So  I  come  at  this  time,  brethren,  to  renew  the 
proposition  of  a  year  or  more  ago,  and  now  make 
earnest  request  that,  as  early  as  convenient,  some 
definite  action  be  taken  thereupon. 

"While  a  complete  respite  from  the  exacting 
labors  of  a  pastor,  for  a  time  at  least,  would  be 
a  welcome  relief  after  thirty-eight  years  of  al- 
most unbroken  service  in  the  Gospel  ministry,, 
and  may,  most  likely,  upon  due  consideration,  be 
preferred  by  me,  yet,  for  the  present,  I  am  dis- 
posed to  leave  it  somewhat  to  your  own  good 
judgment,  guided  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  to  de- 
termine which  of  the  two  courses  suggested  shall 
be  for  the  best  interests  of  the  church. 

"  In  any  event  it  is  not  presumed  that  it  would 
be  wise  or  practicable  to  attempt  to  carry  these 
plans  into  actual  effect  earlier  than  the  coming 
Autumn. 

"In  making  the  above  request,  let  me  say,  it  is 
a  source  of  peculiar  satisfaction  to  me  personally 
that  it  falls  at  a  period  when  our  beloved  church 
has  just  reached  the  highest  point  of  prosperity 
known  in  the  twenty-eight  years  of  this  pastor- 
ate; when  the  very  success  and  rapid  expansion 
of  our  work  calls  for  additional  help  in  carrying 
it  forward.     No  greater  transformation  can  be 


134    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

conceived  of  than  that  which,  by  God's  blessing 
upon  our  united  efforts,  has  taken  place  since  the 
earliest  years  of  this  enterprise. 

''If,  instead  of  beginning,  as  I  did  in  January, 
1873,  without  any  church  organization  as  yet  ef- 
fected, without  even  our  first  plain  brick  chapel 
on  what  is  now  Chapin  Street  (the  street  not  hav- 
ing been  opened  to  Main  Street  till  some  years 
later),  as  yet  completed,  in  an  unfortunate  and 
always  discouraging  location,  with  barely  twenty- 
three  men  and  forty-two  women  pledged  to  the 
prospective  organization,  a  number  of  whom 
had  already  advanced  beyond  the  period  of  ac- 
tivity, among  whom  there  were  almost  literally 
no  young  people,  and  nearly  all  of  whom  were 
either  poor,  or  of  but  very  moderate  means,  and 
with  only  forty  families,  all  told,  embraced  with- 
in the  entire  parish;  and,  added  to  all,  and 
worst  of  all,  an  almost  crushing  debt  of  $11,000 
which  through  shrinkage  and  failures,  soon 
swelled  to  $16,000,  upon  a  church  property 
whose  total  valuation  at  that  time  did  not  exceed 
$16,000  or  at  most  $17,000;  if,  instead  of  begin- 
ning my  work,  I  say,  in  this  city  at  such  a  time,^ 
and  in  such  depressing  circumstances,  I  could  only 
come  to  you  again  as  a  new  and  younger  man,  and 
commence  my  pastorate  just  at  this  present  stage 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     135 

of  our  progress  as  a  church,  with  what  hope  and 
courage  and  assurance  of  success  would  I  enter 
upon  the  glorious  work! 

ATTRACTIVE    AND    PROMISING    FIELD. 

"This,  my  friends,  in  the  judgment  of  all  who 
know  us,  has  now  come  to  be  an  unusually  at- 
tractive and  promising  field.  It  bears  no  resem- 
blance to  what  it  was  in  the  early  days  of  our 
feebleness  and  hardship,  our  long,  bitter  strug- 
gle against  'hard  times,'  and  heavy  debts,  and 
poor  equipment,  and  inadequate  means  and  facil- 
ities, and  unfavorable  situation. 

"The  pioneer  stage  is  passed.  Our  severest 
struggles  are  behind  us.  The  real  crisis  and  de- 
cisive test  of  our  existence  has  long  gone  by.  Few 
fields  can  be  found  to-day  more  alluring  for  a 
minister  who  desires  to  make  a  splendid  record  of 
achievement  for  the  Master. 

"Possessed  of  one  of  the  most  spacious  and  well 
equipped  houses  of  worship  in  our  city,  or  any- 
where in  the  State,  specially  endeared  as  a  sacred 
memorial,  occupying  a  location  unsurpassed,  with 
a  church  property  conservatively  valued  at  $70,- 
000,  and  unincumbered  with  debt,  the  annual 
revenues  largely  in  excess  of  any  former  period, 
and  that  notwithstanding  the  present  draft  made 


136     Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

upon  many  of  our  members  in  meeting  their 
pledges  to  the  building  fund;  with  congregations 
very  materially  increased,  the  Sunday  school,  for 
the  year  just  closed,  April  i,  with  decidedly  the 
largest  average  attendance,  and  much  the  largest 
membership,  of  any  year  in  its  history,  and  other 
organizations  in  a  flourishing  condition;  with  the 
unprecedented  record  of  more  than  sixty  new 
families  added  to  the  congregation  in  the  last 
seventeen  or  eighteen  months,  since  we  entered 
our  new  house  of  worship,  and  140  new  names 
added  to  our  church  membership,  67  on  confes- 
sion of  faith  and  73  by  letter  from  other  churches 
— a  net  gain  of  nearly  100  members  within  the 
same  period — surely,  we  all  have  abundant  rea- 
son, if  we  ever  had,  and  far  more  reason  than  we 
ever  have  had  before,  to  thank  God  and  take  cour- 
age. 

"And,  looking  to  the  future,  it  appears  to  me 
that  under  any  wise  and  faithful  administration 
and  prudent  management,  there  is  every  reason 
to  expect  even  more  rapid  and  substantial  progress 
in  the  months  and  years  to  come. 

"There  never  has  been  a  time  in  the  whole 
period  of  this  church's  existence  when  your  pres- 
ent pastor  could  relinquish  his  work  and  commit 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     137 

it  to  other  hands  in  such  splendid  and  hopeful  con- 
dition, or  when  a  new  man  could  take  up  the  work 
in  this  field  with  anything  like  so  much  of  en- 
couragement and  confident  hope  as  the  present. 

"Looking  back  over  the  more  than  a  quarter 
of  a  century,  I  deeply  feel  how  utterly  imperfect 
and  incomplete  has  been  my  work.  More  and 
more,  as  the  years  have  sped,  and  the  bounds 
of  the  parish  have  expanded  to  more  than  ten 
times  their  original  proportions,  and  the  families 
to  be  cared  for,  the  sick  to  be  visited,  and  the  many 
other  duties  to  be  performed,  have  correspond- 
ingly increased,  I  have  realized  how  inadequate 
must  be  even  one's  utmost  efforts,  and  know,  bet- 
ter than  any  one  else  can  tell  me,  how  far  short  I 
have  fallen  of  my  own  ideal  of  ministerial  effi- 
ciency. It  is  quite  safe  to  say  that  no  one  man 
alone  can  well  and  thoroughly  and  to  his  own 
satisfaction,  meet  all  the  pressing  and  ever  in- 
creasing requirements  of  such  a  field. 

"I  feel  sure,  therefore,  that  the  force  and  rea- 
son of  the  request  contained  in  this  communica- 
tion will  appeal  to  your  own  judgment,  and  will 
be  appreciated  by  you  all. 

"I  may  add  that  the  officers  of  church  and  so- 
ciety, in  joint  meeting,  have  already  taken  favor- 


138     Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

able  action  upon  the  pastor's  request,  and  I  trust 
there  will  be  a  most  hearty  and  unanimous  con- 
currence on  the  part  of  all  our  people. 

"Earnestly  praying  for  the  church's  continued 
growth  and  prosperity,  I  remain 

"Sincerely  your  pastor, 

"Samuel  Dunham. 
"35  North  Street,  April  13,  1901." 

After  the  reading  of  the  pastor's  communica- 
tion, the  following  resolution,  adopted  by  the  of- 
ficers, was  presented  by  Dr.  George  F.  Hand, 
chairman  of  the  committee: 

"Resolved,  That  we  desire  at  this  time  to  ex- 
press our  heartfelt  appreciation  of  the  faithful 
and  devoted  services  of  our  beloved  pastor,  the 
Rev.  Samuel  Dunham,  during  all  the  years  from 
the  organization  of  our  church  to  the  present  mo- 
ment, and  we  contemplate  with  satisfaction  and 
pleasure  the  hope  and  expectation  that,  whatever 
official  changes  may  be  made  in  our  relationship, 
he  will  remain  with  us,  and  we  shall  not  be  de- 
prived of  the  counsel,  sympathy  and  help  which 
have  contributed  so  largely  to  our  unity  and  suc- 
cess heretofore.         "George  F.  Hand, 

"Louis  A.  Osgood, 
"H.  D.  Whitmarsh, 

''Committee^ 


REV.    EDWIN    F.    HALLENBECK,    D.D. 
Second   Pastor  of  the   West   Church. 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     139 

A  little  later  on,  after  mature  reflection,  the 
pastor  modified  the  above  communication,  ex- 
pressing his  decided  preference  that,  when  the 
final  action  should  be  taken,  he  be  released  alto- 
gether from  the  active  duties  of  his  pastorate. 

The  pastor  continued  his  labors  uninterrupt- 
edly for  a  number  of  months,  until  the  time 
seemed  ripe  for  the  choice  of  his  successor. 

A  SUCCESSOR  CHOSEN 

The  following  notice  to  the  members  of  the 
West  Presbyterian  Church  was  read  during  the 
morning  service,  Sept.  29,   1901 : 

"Pursuant  to  action  taken  by  the  session  of 
this  church  on  Wednesday  evening,  all  the  mem- 
bers of  this  congregation  are  requested  to  meet  in 
the  chapel  at  the  close  of  prayer  meeting  next 
Wednesday  evening  at  8:30  o'clock.  Then  and 
there,  if  the  way  be  clear  and  they  so  d^ssire,  to 
proceed  to  the  election  of  a  pastor  to  succeed  the 
present  pastor,  upon  his  proposed  retirement,  on 
certain  specified  conditions,  from  the  active  du- 
ties of  the  office,  in  accordance  with  the  definite 
proposition  made,  some  months  ago,  by  himself, 
and  publicly  announced  to  this  congregation  on 
the   14th  day  of  April  last.     The  committee  to 


140    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

whom,  last  Spring,  was  intrusted  the  important 
duty  of  canvassing  the  question  and  presenting 
a  suitable  name  for  the  position,  will,  it  is  under- 
stood, be  prepared  on  Wednesday  evening  to  re- 
port favorably  the  name  of  a  candidate  for  the 
pastorate. 

"The  meeting  is  also  called  for  the  transaction 
of  such  other  business  as  may  properly  come  be- 
fore the  congregation. 

''Samuel  Dunham,  Moderator. 
"N.  D.  MussoN,  Clerkr 

The  meeting  was  held  at  the  time  and  place 
named,  Mr.  Dunham,  by  request,  acting  as  Mod- 
erator. 

Upon  recommendation  of  the  committee  a  vote 
was  taken  which  resulted  in  a  call  being  extended 
to  the  Rev.  Edwin  F.  Hallenbeck,  pastor  of  the 
Third  Presbyterian  Church,  of  Albany,  and  pres- 
ident of  the  State  Christian  Endeavor  Union. 

The  call  was  formally  accepted  with  the  un- 
derstanding that  he  should  assume  the  duties  of 
his  office  at  the  opening  of  the  year. 

The  action  of  the  church  in  regard  to  the  new 
pastor  was  only  taken  after  repeated  requests 
from  Mr.  Dunham,  who  has  been  pastor  of  the 
West  Presbyterian  Church  for  twenty-nine  years. 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     141 

The  following  resolution  was  adopted  by  the 
church : 

Resolved,  That  in  recognition  of  our  pastor's 
long  years  of  earnest  and  successful  service  in  the 
West  church  and  in  view  of  the  fact  that  he  is 
now  to  retire  from  its  active  pastorate,  we  con- 
tinue his  salary  at  the  rate  of  $1,000  per  year 
for  two  years  from  his  retirement,  to  be  followed 
for  the  remainder  of  life  by  the  salary  affixed 
to  his  honorary  office  of  "pastor  emeritus." 

HAPPILY  WEDDED 

Tuesday,  December  10,  1901,  was  an  auspi- 
cious wedding  day  in  the  West  church,  when  the 
pastor  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Robertha 
C.  McLeod  of  Binghamton,  formerly  of  Philadel- 
phia. 

The  impressive  services  took  place  in  the  new 
edifice  of  the  West  Presbyterian  Church  at  eleven 
o'clock  in  the  morning  in  presence  of  an  assem- 
blage that  taxed  the  full  capacity  of  the  building. 
The  ceremony  was  performed  by  the  Rev.  Nacy 
McGee  Waters,  D.  D.,  then  pastor  of  the  First 
Congregational  Church,  assisted  by  the  late  Rev, 
G.  Parsons  Nichols,  D.  D.,  at  that  time  pastor 
of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church. 

The  maid  of  honor  was  Miss  May  Strubing, 


142    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

of  Philadelphia,  a  life-long  intimate  friend  of  the 
bride,  and  the  best  man  was  Rev.  Dr.  John  Mc- 
Vey,  pastor  of  the  North  Presbyterian  Church, 
an  old  seminary  classmate  of  the  groom,  as  well 
as  a  co-presbyter  and  fellow  worker  for  many 
years  in  this  city. 

The  exquisite  music  and  decorations  added 
much  to  the  joyousness  of  the  occasion,  and  the 
whole  was  fitly  concluded  with  a  delightful  re- 
ception and  wedding  breakfast  at  the  home  of 
the  bride's  uncle  and  aunt,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas 
J.  Winans,  163  Chapin  Street,  adjoining  the  par- 
sonage-home of  Mr.  Dunham. 

RETIREMENT  OF  MR.  DUNHAM 

Mr.  Dunham's  final  sermons  as  pastor  of  the 
West  Presbyterian  Church  were  delivered,  and  his 
farewell  words  spoken  on  Sunday,  December  29, 
1901. 

Some  idea  of  the  nature  of  his  work,  and  of 
what  has  been  accomplished  during  his  pastorate^ 
may  be  gathered  from  the  following  sketch  as 
reported  by  the  press : 

''After  serving  the  West  Presbyterian  Church 
since  it  was  organized  twenty-nine  years  ago.  Rev. 
Samuel  Dunham  yesterday  preached  his  last  ser- 
mon as  pastor  of  the  church.     Much  feeling  was 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     143 

manifested  by  both  the  minister  and  the  members 
of  the  church. 

"Mr.  Dunham  took  for  his  morning  text  2  Cor., 
4:5,  Tor  we  preach  not  ourselves,  but  Christ 
Jesus  the  Lord;  and  ourselves  your  servants  for 
Jesus'  sake.'  In  the  course  of  his  sermon  the 
speaker  reviewed  the  work  of  the  past  twenty-nine 
years.     He  said  in  part: 

"  'Thankful  we  ought  to  be  to  the  God  of  the 
Harvest  for  the  precious  results,  by  His  blessing 
achieved  during  these  twenty-nine  years — results 
visible,  and  results  far  greater  and  more  precious 
that  are  invisible. 

"  'This  church  has  enjoyed  many  seasons  of 
spiritual  refreshing,  and  the  membership  has 
steadily  advanced  from  year  to  year  throughout 
the  entire  period.  In  a  number  of  instances  the 
yearly  accessions  have  been  unusually  large,  reach- 
ing in  several  recent  years,  close  to  the  hundred 
mark  and  beyond  as  high  as  120  in  a  single  year. 

"  'What  we  have  accomplished  as  a  church  may 
afford  no  very  great  occasion  for  self-congratula- 
tion, though  enough  has  been  done  through  our 
humble  agency  to  awaken  our  heartfelt  gratitude 
to  God.  Little  room,  indeed,  is  left  for  pride  of 
heart  or  boasting,  very  much  cause  for  humilia- 
tion and  regrets  in  the  retrospect.     With  real  pain 


144.    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

of  heart  we  think  to-day  how  much  more  might 
have  been  done  for  God  and  our  fellow  men,  for 
Christ  and  perishing  souls,  all  these  years  of 
grace,  had  we  proved  as  devoted  and  faithful  as 
we  ought. 

"  'It  is  with  a  profound  sense  of  the  divine 
goodness,  and  with  fervent  thanksgiving  to  the 
Great  Head  of  the  church  that  we  note  whatever 
progress  has  been  made. 

"  'By  the  grace  of  God  we  have  added  to  our 
original  little  band  of  sixty-five  persons  (twenty- 
three  men  and  forty- two  women),  by  letter,  605; 
on  profession,  715;  total,  1,320.  This  makes  our 
total  enrollment  1,385.  There  have  been  re- 
moved from  the  church:  by  dismission,  382;  by 
death,  138;  total,  520.  Leaving  a  clear  net  gain 
of  800. 

"  'The  average  accessions  per  year  for  the  whole 
period  have  been  about  forty-six.  The  average 
losses  per  year,  eighteen,  leaving  a  net  average 
gain  of  about  twenty-eight  members  for  every 
year  of  my  pastorate. 

"  'By  far  the  largest  half  of  this  numerical  gain, 
however, — as  of  growth  and  progress  along  other 
lines, — has  been  witnessed  during  the  last  half  of 
this  pastorate.  And,  in  some  important  respects, 
the  last  five  years  have  seen  more  of  real  substan- 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     145 

tial  advance  than  all  of  the  previous  twenty- four 
years. 

"  'During  the  current  year  since  last  January, 
seventy-six  new  members  have  been  received, 
thirty-four  by  letter  and  forty-two  on  profession. 
Within  the  past  two  years  since  the  society  first 
occupied  its  new  church  edifice,  174  have  been 
added  to  the  membership;  by  letter,  ninety-five, 
and  on  profession  of  faith,  seventy-nine ;  an  aver- 
age of  eighty-seven  per  year,  and  a  net  gain  over 
all  losses  in  these  last  two  years  of  106. 

"  'During  this  pastorate  it  has  been  my  privilege 
to  baptise  183  children  and  356  adults,  a  total 
of  539.  I  have  married  375  couples,  and  have 
officiated  at  608  funerals,  one-sixth  of  which  have 
been  within  the  past  two  years. 

"  'As  a  church  we  have  contributed  to  missions 
and  the  various  causes  of  benevolence  an  aggre- 
gate of  $25,000,  and  have  raised  for  congrega- 
tional purposes,  including  cost  of  church  proper- 
ties, enlargements  and  improvements,  erection  of 
parsonage,  payment  of  church  debts,  and  ordinary 
current  expenses,  in  round  numbers,  the  sum  of 
$175,000,  making  a  grand  total  of  $200,000 
as  the  amount  of  funds  raised  by  this  church  since 
ground  was  broken  in  1872  for  our  first  church 
edifice  on  Chapin  Street. 


146    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

"  'Within  the  period  covered  by  this  pastorate 
we  have  besides  building  a  parsonage^  virtually 
built  three  new  churches.  We  have  built  two, 
and  remodeled  one  at  a  cost  of  some  $9,000. 

"  'My  friends,  if  such  splendid  results  can  be 
produced  by  a  young  church  of  moderate  means 
in  its  first  period  of  planting  and  immaturity,  of 
pioneering  and  struggle,  what  far  larger  and  richer 
fruits  ought  we  not  confidently  to  expect  in  these 
immediate  coming  years,  now  that  the  period  of 
hardest  struggle  is  past;  now  that  that  most  diffi- 
cult and  delicate  of  all  a  pastor's  work,  the  erec- 
tion of  new  churches,  is  over"?  There  are  no 
more  new  churches  to  build  for  generations  to 
come,  and  you  are  in  undisturbed  possession  of 
this  magnificent  and  fully  equipped  plant  for  the 
carrying  on,  unhindered,  of  the  spiritual  work  of 
the  church. 

"  'Of  my  own  labors  I  have  no  desire  to  speak 
at  length.  I  only  think  of  them  as  we  must  of 
all  our  defective  efforts  and  partial  success,  with 
a  kind  of  bitter  sweetness.  If  I  have,  at  times, 
felt  the  flush  of  success,  I  have  also  known  the 
pain  of  failure.  If  I  have  rejoiced  as  a  strong 
man  to  run  a  race,  God  has  taught  me  my  weak- 
ness. I  have  felt  the  more  in  sympathy  with  the 
apostles,  as  I  have  more  fully  comprehended  the 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     147 

fact  that  "we  have  this  treasure  in  earthen  ves- 
sels, that  the  excellency  of  the  power  may  be  of 
God  and  not  of  us." 

"  'I  took  up  the  burdens  of  my  office  with  you 
twenty-nine  years  ago,  weighted  with  a  sense  of 
immense  responsibility.  I  lay  down  my  active 
pastorate  to-day,  still  possessed  of  the  feeling, 
"Who  is  sufficient  for  these  things'?"  But  as  I 
have  come  into  the  fellowship  of  the  apostles'  suf- 
ferings, so  have  I  come  unto  the  blessed  partner- 
ship of  their  joy,  "Troubled  on  every  side,  yet 
not  destroyed,"  "sorrowful  yet  always  rejoicing." 

"  T  count  that  a  most  happy  period  of  my  life 
which  I  have  spent  among  you  and  in  your  serv- 
ice. From  the  time  when  I  first  heard  the  heav- 
enly call,  "Go  preach  my  gospel,"  I  looked  for- 
ward to  the  ministry  with  expectation  of  great 
pleasure  in  it;  but  I  want  to  say  that  it  has  been 
to  me  even  a  more  joyful  work  than  I  ever  dared 
to  hope.  It  is  a  high,  holy  and  blessed  calling. 
I  had  rather  have  a  pulpit  with  poverty  than  a 
pew  with  wealth.  I  have  seen  many  of  the  gilded 
thrones  of  the  old  world;  but  they  can  not  com- 
pare with  that  occupied  by  the  Christian  minis- 
ter. I  had  rather  preach  the  gospel  as  an  ambas- 
sador of  Christ,  and  have  tears  for  my  meat,  than 
be  courtier  and  enjoy  the  sumptuous  fare  of  kings. 


14.8    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

Christ's  ministers  have  meat  to  eat  such  as  never 
smoked  upon  royal  tables,  nor  was  ever  tasted 
in  the  walks  and  homes  of  fashion  and  pleasure. 
The  preacher  of  the  cross  has  jewels  that  shall 
some  day  make  a  brighter  coronet  than  prince  ever 
wore.  "They  that  sow  in  tears  shall  reap  in  joy. 
He  that  goeth  forth  and  weepeth,  bearing  precious 
seed,  shall  doubtless  come  again  with  rejoicing 
bringing  his  sheaves  with  him."  Much,  very 
much,  however,  I  feel,  is  due  to  your  never-fail- 
ing kindness  and  charity  towards  me  that  my  long 
pastorate  among  you  has  been  made  so  pleasant. 

"  'What  shall  a  pastor  render  to  his  people  for 
all  their  long  years  of  loyal  devotion;  for  favors 
unnumbered,  for  kind  and  considerate  attentions; 
for  innumerable  gentle  and  delicate  ministries; 
for  loving  sympathy  in  hours  of  darkness  and  trial, 
for  prayers  unceasing  and  for  love  undying  until 
his  debt  of  gratitude  and  thanksgiving  seems  piled 
mountain  high?  What  shall  such  a  pastor  ren- 
der to  such  a  people  for  all  their  graceful  minis- 
tries and  kindly  benefactions? 

"  'For  all  your  friendly  and  tender  interest  in 
me  and  mine,  both  in  seasons  of  health  and  sick- 
ness, in  joy  and  in  sorrow,  I  feel  that  I  owe  you 
a  debt  of  gratitude  of  which  I  can  never  be  dis- 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     149 

charged.  These  things  I  assure  you  shall  be  held 
in  grateful  remembrance  so  long  as  I  shall  live. 
For  all  the  undeserved  favors  your  pastor  has  re- 
ceived, he  can  now  only  offer  his  poor  thanks,  but 
you  who  have  given  more  than  a  cup  of  cold  wa- 
ter to  the  disciple,  shall  in  no  wise  lose  your  re- 
ward.' 

"In  the  evening  Rev.  Dr.  Edward  Taylor  of- 
fered prayer,  the  occasion  being  the  first  time  he 
has  been  able  to  attend  a  service  in  four  months. 

"Mr.  Dunham's  evening  text  was  taken  from 
1  Timothy  1:11  and  the  theme  was  'The  Glori- 
ous Gospel  of  the  Blessed  God,'  and  he  depicted 
the  progress  and  triumphs  of  the  gospel  from  the 
coming  of  Christ  to  the  present  day. 

"The  following  are  the  last  words  of  Mr.  Dun- 
ham to  his  congregation  as  their  pastor : 

"  'I  lay  down  to-night,  dear  friends,  my  dear 
people,  my  long  and  happy  pastorate  among  you. 
To-night  I  cease  from  the  work  of  the  ministry  in 
this  field.  But,  so  long  as  I  live  I  hope  to  con- 
tinue to  preach  "the  glorious  gospel  of  the  blessed 
God."  To-night  the  chapter  closes.  The  his- 
tory of  twenty-nine  years  is  complete.  The  rec- 
ord is  made  up;  the  account  closed;  the  books 
sealed.     When  those  books  shall  again  be  opened, 


150    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

what,  I  wonder,  shall  be  the  verdict'?  What  shall 
be  the  final  outcome'?  What,  oh,  what,  for  you 
and  for  me,  shall  the  harvest  be*?'  " 

The  following  Tuesday  evening,  Dec.  31,  a 
farewell  reception  was  given  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Dunham  in  the  church  parlors. 

"The  parlors  were  tastefully  decorated  with 
evergreens,  palms,  potted  plants  and  cut  flowers. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dunham,  assisted  by  members  of 
the  church,  received  the  guests  at  the  entrance  and 
the  latter  were  ushered  to  the  parlors  where  the 
time  was  spent  in  social  enjoyment  and  extension 
of  congratulations. 

"The  affair,  besides  being  the  occasion  of  Mr. 
Dunham's  farewell  as  pastor,  was  also  in  the  na- 
ture of  a  reception  to  introduce  Mrs.  Dunham  to 
the  members  of  the  church,  no  informal  gathering 
of  this  kind  having  been  held  since  the  marriage 
of  Mr.  Dunham. 

"The  attendance  at  the  reception  was  large  and 
representative  of  the  membership  of  the  church, 
besides  many  guests  from  outside  the  church  cir- 
cle. The  parlors  were  crowded  with  persons  de- 
siring to  extend  their  congratulations  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Dunham  and  wish  them  a  happy  New  Year. 

"Light  refreshments  were  served;  and  informal 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     151 

speeches,  expressing  the  sorrow  felt  at  Mr.  Dun- 
ham's surrendering  the  active  pastorate  of  the 
church,  were  made  by  various  members.  Music 
was  furnished  throughout  the  evening  by  the 
Binghamton  Mandolin  Club.  There  were  also 
several  duets  by  Mrs.  Charles  A.  Ball  and  Mrs. 
Kate  Lily  Speck. 

"The  ushers  were  B.  A.  Baumann,  C.  E.  Ter- 
rill,  T.  C.  Thorpe,  L.  A.  Osgood  and  V.  S.  Paes- 
sler.  Mrs.  L.  A.  Osgood,  Mrs.  Charles  A.  Ball, 
Mrs.  C.  E.  Hathaway  and  Mrs.  C.  E.  Terrill  pre- 
sided at  the  refreshment  table." 

PASTORAL  RELATIONS  FORMALLY 
DISSOLVED 

At  a  special  meeting  of  the  Binghamton  Pres- 
bytery, held  at  the  West  Presbyterian  Church, 
Jan.  3,  1902,  the  request  of  the  pastor  and  mem- 
bers of  that  church  to  dissolve  the  pastoral  rela- 
tions between  the  church  and  Rev.  Samuel  Dun- 
ham was  granted,  and  the  action  of  the  church  in 
electing  Mr.  Dunham  as  "Pastor  Emeritus"  was 
approved. 

Rev.  Selden  L.  Haynes  of  Hancock,  the  mod- 
erator of  the  Presbytery,  presided,  and  Rev.  D. 
N.  Grummon  acted  as  clerk. 


152    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

The  formal  call  to  Rev.  Edwin  Forrest  Hallen- 
beck  was  then  presented  and  formally  accepted 
by  him. 

In  severing  the  old  relations  and  constituting 
the  new  ones  between  the  church  and  Mr.  Dur- 
ham, the  Presbytery  adopted  the  following 
minute : 

"The  Presbytery  of  Bingham  ton,  in  session 
January  3,  1902,  having  received  a  request  for 
the  dissolution  of  the  pastoral  relation  existing 
between  the  Rev.  Samuel  Dunham  and  the  West 
Church  of  Binghamton,  coupled  with  the  further 
request  of  the  said  church  that  the  Presbytery  ap- 
prove their  action  in  electing  Rev.  Samuel  Dun- 
ham pastor  emeritus,  and  having  listened  to  and 
considered  the  statements  of  the  parties  in  inter- 
est, hereby  grants  both  requests. 

"In  doing  so  the  Presbytery  expresses  its  ap- 
preciation of  the  thoughtful  and  kindly  manner 
evinced  on  the  part  of  both  pastor  and  people  in 
which  this  action  has  been  brought  about. 

"Closing  with  the  utmost  good  feeling  an  un- 
usually long  pastorate,  twenty-nine  years,  the 
Presbytery  points  to  this  as  an  illustration  of  the 
wisdom  of  our  policy  in  enjoining  the  installment 
of  a  minister,  and  commends  it  as  an  object  lesson 
to  other  churches. 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     153 

"The  Presbytery  also  expresses  its  high  appre- 
ciation of  the  work  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Dunham, 
of  his  ministerial  ability,  faithful  service,  and  self- 
sacrificing  spirit.  The  congregation  fostered  and 
cared  for  by  him  during  all  these  years,  and 
brought  to  its  present  material  and  spiritual  pros- 
perity, attests  the  character  of  his  labors. 

"Whatever  in  God's  providence  he  may  be  per- 
mitted to  do  in  the  future,  he  may  be  assured  of 
the  good  wishes  and  prayers  of  this  body  both  for 
himself  and  his." 

INSTALLATION  OF  DR.  HALLENBECK 

In  the  evening  of  the  same  day  (Jan.  3,  1902), 
the  Rev.  Edwin  Forrest  Hallenbeck,  of  Albany, 
was  formally  installed  as  Mr.  Dunham's  suc- 
cessor. 

The  music  was  a  pleasing  feature  of  the  exer- 
cises, and  the  services  were  impressive. 

The  Rev.  Selden  L.  Haynes,  of  Hancock, 
moderator  of  Presbytery,  presided  and  propounded 
the  constitutional  questions.  Rev.  Dr.  G.  Par- 
sons Nichols,  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church, 
preached  the  sermon  from  the  text  found  in  Mat- 
thew 16:25. 

Rev.  Samuel  Dunham,  the  retiring  pastor,  of- 
fered the  prayer  of  installation. 


154    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

The  charge  to  the  pastor  was  delivered  by  Rev. 
Dr.  A.  Cameron  McKenzie,  president  of  Elmira 
College,  and  the  charge  to  the  people  by  Rev.  Dr. 
John  McVey,  pastor  of  the  North  Presbyterian 
Church. 

Following  the  benediction  by  the  newly  in- 
stalled pastor,  many  members  of  the  church  and 
congregation  came  forward  and  extended  to  him 
cordial  greetings  and  the  hand  of  fellowship. 

Dr.  Hallenbeck  entered  at  once  upon  the  du- 
ties of  his  office  with  great  zeal  and  earnestness, 
in  the  full  prime  of  his  powers,  preaching  the  old 
truths  with  all  the  power  of  conviction. 

His  temper,  training  and  equipment  especially 
fitted  him  for  evangelistic  efforts.  The  six  years 
of  his  pastorate  may  be  characterized  as  a  period 
of  aggressive  evangelism.  Not  only  did  he,  on 
several  occasions,  conduct  a  series  of  evangelistic 
meetings  in  his  own  church,  and  assist  in  revival 
work  in  other  cities,  but  he,  also,  frequently  called 
to  his  aid  some  of  the  more  prominent  evangelists 
of  the  country. 

He  was  well  versed  in  the  Scriptures,  and  as 
a  Bible  teacher  was  safe,  sound  and  conservative. 
His  work  was  of  a  kind  to  stimulate  Christian  ac- 
tivity, to  build  stable  Christian  character,  and  to 
promote  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  Church. 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     155 

During  the  six  years  of  his  pastorate  there  were 
added  to  the  church  on  confession  of  faith  227, 
and  by  letter  209,  a  total  of  436. 

Within  the  same  period  there  were  removed  by 
dismission  154,  and  by  death  47,  in  all  201,  show- 
ing a  net  gain  of  235  members. 

But  a  better  estimate  of  the  results  of  his  la- 
bors, and  of  the  appreciation  in  which  he  was  held 
by  the  people  may  be  seen  in  the  action  taken  by 
the  officers  and  members  of  the  church  at  the  time 
of  his  retirement  from  the  field  in  order  to  accept 
an  invitation  to  become  associate  pastor  of  the 
Fifth  Avenue  Presbyterian  Church,  New  York. 

In  view  of  this  call  the  following  minute  was 
adopted  by  the  officers  of  the  church: 

"We,  the  elders,  deacons  and  trustees  of  the 
West  Presbyterian  Church,  knowing  that  a  call 
to  another  field  has  been  tendered  our  pastor,  Dr. 
E.  F.  Hallenbeck,  desire  to  express  to  him  our 
sincere  regret  that  such  a  thing  has  come  to  pass. 

"We  know  that  the  West  Presbyterian  Church 
and  this  city  would  sustain  a  very  great  loss  should 
he  accept  this  call. 

"His  Godly  life  among  us  and  his  faithful 
teaching  of  God's  word  have  been  an  inspiration 
to  all  for  better  living  and  better  service  for  the 
Master. 


156     Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

"We  believe  he  is  a  man  led  of  God,  that  he 
came  to  us  in  response  to  God's  call,  and,  if  God 
calls  him  away,  who  are  we,  that  we  should  say 
nay*?  And  so,  with  bowed  heads  and  saddened 
hearts,  we  say  'the  will  of  God  be  done.'  " 

DR.  HALLENBECK  RESIGNS.     AN 
APPRECIATION 

A  meeting  of  the  congregation  was  held  on 
Tuesday  evening,  Nov.  12,  1907,  to  take  action 
upon  Dr.  Hallenbeck's  resignation.  At  this 
meeting  T.  M.  Greacen  was  chosen  chairman  and 
Irwin  B.  Parce  clerk. 

After  due  consideration  the  resignation  was  ac- 
cepted, and  W.  O.  Birdsall  and  C.  F.  Peck  were 
elected  commissioners  to  unite  with  the  pastor  in 
an  application  to  Binghamton  Presbytery  for  the 
dissolution  of  the  pastoral  relation. 

The  following  minutes  were  adopted: 

MINUTES    ADOPTED    BY    CHURCH. 

'Tn  view  of  the  near  approach  of  the  departure 
of  our  pastor,  Rev.  Edwin  Forrest  Hallenbeck, 
D.  D.,  for  a  new  field  of  labor,  in  New  York  City, 
we,  the  officers  and  members  of  the  West  Presby- 
terian Church  and  congregation,  of  Binghamton, 
N.  Y.,  hereby  desire  to  express  our  appreciation 
of  his  life  and  service  among  us. 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     157 

"During  the  stay  of  Dr.  Hallenbeck  among  us, 
our  church  has  made  marked  progress  in  all  ma- 
terial ways.  Coming  to  us  at  a  time  when  we 
were  making  strenuous  efforts  to  firmly  establish 
ourselves  in  a  new  and  vastly  improved  church 
home,  he  bravely  put  his  shoulder  under  ours  and 
from  that  time  to  this  he  has  borne  his  part  of 
the  load  incurred  by  this  great  undertaking. 

"We  have  largely  increased  our  contributions 
for  benevolent  and  charitable  purposes,  in  great 
measure,  through  the  earnest  endeavor  of  our  pas- 
tor. 

"The  membership  of  our  church  has  been  con- 
stantly growing  under  his  faithful,  earnest  minis- 
tration. 

"He  has  put  his  whole  soul  into  the  work  of 
the  Sunday  school  und  the  different  branches  of 
the  Young  People's  Endeavor.  These  organiza- 
tions have  always  received  his  untiring  support 
and  have  felt  the  strong  impulse  of  his  kindly, 
efficient.  Christian  influence. 

"There  is  no  department  of  our  church  work 
which  has  not  been  fostered  and  built  up  by  his 
thoughtful  and  energetic  watchcare. 

"It  is  in  the  deeper  spiritual  life  of  the  church, 
however,  that  we  have  seen  the  most  important 
advancement.     Under  the  ministry  of  Dr.  Hal- 


158    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

lenbeck  there  has  been  a  growth  in  soul  life,  which 
has  made  the  West  Presbyterian  Church  a  tower 
of  strength,  not  only  in  the  civic  religious  life  of 
this  city,  but  throughout  this  entire  country-side. 
His  clear  presentation  of  the  Word  of  God,  from 
Sabbath  to  Sabbath,  has  been  a  source  of  inspira- 
tion to  all;  and  this  inspiration  has  not  been  a 
thing  of  the  passing  moment,  but  it  has  gone  into 
the  making  of  better  life  and  a  surer  faith  on  the 
part  of  all.  No  more  sure  index  of  this  need  be 
asked  than  the  power  which  has  been  shown  in 
the  prayer  meetings  held  by  the  church,  and  the 
strong  work  which  has  been  done  by  the  members 
of  the  church  for  the  salvation  of  souls,  both  in 
Binghamton  and  elsewhere.  In  this  regard  we 
feel  that  we  certainly  have  been  blessed  beyond 
measure;  and  if  there  is  any  one  thing  for  which 
we  are  thankful  at  this  time,  when  our  hearts  are 
so  tender  at  the  thought  of  parting  from  our  dear 
friend  and  brother  in  Christ,  it  is  that  we  have 
been  permitted  to  have  this  strong  and  uplifting 
teaching  of  the  Word  from  our  pulpit.  We  re- 
joice that  the  people  to  whom  God  has  called  our 
pastor  are  to  have  this  blessed  service,  knowing 
that  it  must  work  out  for  them  wonderful  things 
in  the  life  of  the  church  and  the  community  into 
which  he  is  to  go.     Thus  we  feel  that  we  are 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     159 

sharing,  in  no  small  way,  in  the  blessed  results  of 
this  work  for  which  our  church  has  always  stood. 

"In  all  his  labor-of-love,  our  pastor  has  had  the 
hearty  support  and  sympathy  of  his  wife.  Mrs. 
Hallenbeck  has  ever  given  herself,  most  devotedly 
and  most  untiringly  to  a  glad  service.  She  has 
never  spared  herself  in  any  way;  and  her  wise 
counsels  have  led  us  along  many  a  path  that  would 
otherwise  have  been  full  of  difficulty,  in  perfect 
safety.  In  the  particular  field  that  relates  to  the 
work  of  the  women  of  our  church,  we  have  always ' 
found  her  to  be  earnest,  wise  and  resourceful. 
Her  life  among  us  has  been  a  blessing  to  us  all. 
From  the  home  they  have  maintained  in  our 
midst,  a  sweet  fragrance  has  gone  out  that  will 
last  for  all  time. 

"For  these  reasons,  the  thought  of  this  change 
which  is  to  take  place  in  our  lives,  comes  to  us  as 
a  heavy  sorrow  not  to  be  adequately  described. 
We  all  feel  a  sense  of  personal  loss  just  at  this 
time  when  so  many  blessings  are  coming  to  us  in 
the  revival  services  of  the  three  united  churches. 
Our  resignation  at  this  time  comes  from  our  be- 
lief that  Dr.  Hallenbeck  is  in  no  small  degree  a 
God-led  man ;  and  we  know  that  he  believes  him- 
self to  be  guided  of  God  in  deciding  this  action. 
We  feel,  therefore,  that  God  surely  has  a  wise 


160    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

purpose  in  view  in  calling  him  to  this  new  field  and 
this  new  work  which  lies  so  close  to  his  heart. 
This  thought  leads  us  to  stand  almost  in  silence 
before  the  change  so  soon  to  take  place  in  our 
church  relation,  our  only  feeling  being  one  of 
praise  and  thanksgiving  that  we  have  had  the 
privilege  of  enjoying  the  ministry  of  Dr.  Hallen- 
beck  and  of  happiness  that  the  Father  has  hon- 
ored him  with  this  large  part  in  Christian  service. 
And  so,  while  we  express  our  sorrow  at  this  time, 
we  nevertheless  wish  our  pastor  and  those  who  are 
so  dear  to  him,  a  hearty  God-speed.  May  God's 
richest  blessings  rest  upon  him  and  his  throughout 
all  time! 

"It  is  our  further  desire  that  this  testimonial 
be  spread  upon  the  minutes  of  this  meeting  and 
that  a  copy  be  sent  to  our  pastor." 

DR.  COLVILLE'S  PASTORATE 

Dr.  Hallenbeck's  labors  terminated  on  the  first 
Sunday  in  December,  1907. 

During  the  following  weeks  the  West  church 
pulpit  was  supplied  by  a  number  of  different  min- 
isters, until,  at  length,  a  call  to  the  pastorate  was 
extended,  Jan.  29,  1908,  to  Rev.  George  Murray 
Colville,  D.  D.,  pastor  of  the  First  Presbyterian 


REV.    G.    iMURRAY    COLVILLE,    D.D. 
Third    Pastor    of    the    West    Church. 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     161 

Church,  Racine,  Wisconsin,  and  was  by  him  ac- 
cepted. 

He  had,  in  former  years,  enjoyed  successful 
pastorates  in  two  of  the  more  important  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Churches  of  Binghamton,  the  Tab- 
ernacle and  the  Centenary  Churches,  and  was  well 
known  and  beloved  by  many  of  the  people  of  the 
city.  The  thought  of  his  return  to  Binghamton 
was  hailed  with  pleasure,  and,  from  the  first  an- 
nouncement, a  cordial  welcome  awaited  him. 

Dr.  Colville  was  formally  installed  as  the  third 
pastor  of  the  West  Presbyterian  Church  on  the 
evening  of  April  30,  1908,  Rev.  Mr.  Dunham, 
pastor  emeritus  and  moderator  of  Binghamton 
Presbytery,  presiding.  The  church  was  filled  to 
its  full  capacity,  and  the  services  were  of  a  deeply 
impressive  character. 

The  musical  programme,  in  charge  of  Mrs. 
Emily  Wood  Bower,  the  organist,  was  elaborate 
and  especially  attractive.  The  Scripture  lesson 
was  read  by  Rev.  Lincoln  A.  Ferris,  of  the  Taber- 
nacle M.  E.  Church,  and  Rev.  F.  O.  Belden,  of 
the  Main  Street  Baptist  Church,  offered  the  open- 
ing prayer.  The  sermon  was  delivered  by  Rev. 
Dr.  Hallenbeck,  of  New  York,  from  the  text 
found  in  Esther  4:14.     Following  the  constitu- 


162    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

tional  questions  by  the  moderator,  the  prayer  of 
installation  was  offered  by  Rev.  John  J.  Law- 
rence, pastor  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church. 
Rev.  Dr.  John  McVey,  pastor  emeritus  of  the 
North  Presbyterian  Church,  gave  the  charge  to 
the  pastor,  and  Rev.  Samuel  Dunham  the  charge 
to  the  people.  The  services  were  concluded  with 
the  "Hallelujah  Chorus,"  and  the  benediction  by 
the  newly  installed  pastor. 

Thus  auspiciously  began  a  pastorate  from 
which  was  confidently  anticipated  a  large  meas- 
ure of  success.  And  so  it  has  proved.  Looking 
back  over  the  years  of  its  continuance  it  is  evident 
that  God  has  crowned  Dr.  Colville's  ministry 
with  the  rich  tokens  of  His  favor,  and  that  his 
earnest  and  strenuous  and  oftentimes  exhausting 
labors  in  connection  with  the  West  Church 
have  proved  exceedingly  fruitful,  and  have  been 
abundantly  blessed  of  the  Lord.  During  the  six 
years  of  his  pastorate  345  persons  were  added  to 
the  church,  of  whom  139  were  received  on  con- 
fession of  faith  and  206  by  letter.  Within  the 
same  time  152  were  removed  by  dismission  and 
66  by  death,  a  total  of  218,  showing  a  net  gain 
of  127. 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     163 

DR.   COLVILLE'S   LETTER  OF  RESIGNATION. 
A  DESERVED  TRIBUTE. 

''My  Beloved  People: 

'The  most  difficult  task  that  has  fallen  to  me 
since  coming  among  you  is  mine  to-day  in  tender- 
ing to  you  my  resignation  as  minister  of  this 
church,  to  take  effect  January  i,  1914. 

"For  nearly  six  years  I  have  gone  out  and  in 
among  you  as  pastor,  but  that  sacred  relation,  in 
God's  providence,  must  soon  cease.  My  sense  of 
personal  loss  will  not  be  possible  to  express.  It 
has  been  a  joy  to  live  and  labor  in  beautiful  Bing- 
hamton  for  fifteen  years,  but  the  tie  that  has 
bound  us  together  has  been  one  of  especial  and 
peculiar  sympathy.  To  serve  you  in  the  church, 
to  bury  your  dead,  to  unite  husband  and  wife,  to 
baptize  your  children,  to  welcome  you  to  the  table 
of  the  Lord,  to  be  one  with  you  in  joy  and  in 
sorrow,  these  things  form  an  attachment  not  to 
be  lightly  broken.  Nor  will  it  be.  God  willing, 
my  future  home  will  not  be  far  away  and  this 
church  will  ever  be  in  my  heart,  and  the  faces  of 
its  beloved  people  will  always  be  a  welcome  sight. 
Only  the  strong  belief  that  another  man,  stronger 
and  more  able,  sent  of  God,  will  do  more  efficient 
work  for  the  West  Church  than  I  can  possibly  do, 
makes  necessary  this  separation. 


164    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministrti 

"More  than  a  year  ago  this  belief  was  borne 
in  upon  me  after  long  consideration  and  much 
prayer,  and  only  the  natural  shrinking  from  such 
an  act,  has  led  me  to  postpone  the  inevitable  until 
now.  Seven  months  since  I  intimated  to  the 
church  Session  that  I  would  have  to  resign  from 
the  active  duties  of  the  pastorate,  as  the  cares  and 
burdens  of  such  a  large  parish  were  too  great  for 
me  to  carry  much  longer.  At  the  earnest  solicita- 
tion of  these  wise  and  godly  men,  I  determined  to 
go  on  with  the  work  until  the  Autumn,  when  the 
church  would  be  in  better  running  order  after  the 
respite  of  the  Summer  months.  During  these 
months  I  tried  to  believe  that  our  tender  relations 
might  go  on  for  another  year  or  more,  but  I  am 
admonished  by  clear  signs  and  a  certain  knowl- 
edge, if  I  am  to  have  a  period  of  freedom  from 
the  increasing,  crowding  duties  of  the  work,  I 
must  heed  the  signs  and  accept  the  incontestable 
now,  hard  though  it  be. 

"Respecting  my  work  here  no  one  is  more  con- 
scious of  its  faults  and  its  failures  than  myself. 
Many  as  these  have  been  you  have  patiently  en- 
dured them,  and  have  lovingly  thrown  over  them 
the  mantle  of  charity.  Not  only  have  you  been 
blind  to  my  faults  but  you  have  been  open-eyed 
to  what  some  might  call  my  virtues.     Your  many 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     165 

words  of  appreciation,  your  letters  of  commenda- 
tion, and  your  many  generous,  unostentatious 
deeds  have  often  cheered  my  heart  and  strength- 
ened my  hands  for  better  service.  Our  Heavenly 
Father  has  smiled  upon  our  united  efforts  and  has 
made  them  bring  forth  some  results  to  the  honor 
of  His  name  and  to  the  good  of  men.     To  God  be 


fj> 


all  the  glory ! 

The  resignation  was  accepted  with  deep  regret 
on  November  26th,  1913,  and  the  pastoral  rela- 
tion was  reluctantly  dissolved  by  act  of  Presby- 
tery December  22,  1913,  with  the  understanding 
that  Dr.  Colville  would  continue  his  services  until 
the  close  of  January. 

At  this  special  meeting  of  Presbytery  Theodore 
C.  Thorpe  represented  the  session  of  the  church 
and  C.  F.  Peck  the  trustees. 

The  final  services  were  held  on  Sunday,  Jan- 
uary 25,  1914,  on  which  occasion  the  following 
deserved  tribute,  prepared  by  a  committee  con- 
sisting of  Edgar  L.  Vincent,  George  Fowler  and 
B.  R.  Brigham,  was  adopted  by  the  congregation : 

"For  six  years  Doctor  Colville  has  gone  in  and 
out  as  our  pastor.  These  have  been  happy,  pros- 
perous and  fruitful  years.     The  indebtedness  of 


106    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

the  church  has  been  steadily  decreased.  The  spir- 
itual life  of  the  church  has  been  deepened  and 
broadened.  No  communion  service  has  gone  by, 
that  we  now  recollect,  when  there  have  not  been 
accessions  to  the  membership  of  this  body. 

"During  all  these  years,  the  gospel  has  been 
preached  in  its  purity,  simplicity  and  power.  Not 
one  doubtful  word  has  been  spoken,  not  one  dis- 
cordant note  struck,  not  one  questionable  theory 
advanced.  From  the  sacred  desk  the  message  of 
salvation  through  the  Christ  of  Calvary  has  rung 
out,  Sabbath  after  Sabbath,  clear,  strong,  decisive, 
winning  and  wooing  the  lost,  bringing  courage  to 
the  fainting  in  spirit  and  hope  to  those  who  have 
been  weary  on  life's  way. 

"Of  the  service  of  Doctor  Colville  as  teacher 
of  the  Westminster  Class  of  men,  no  word  needs 
be  spoken.  It  will  live  in  the  memory  of  those 
who  have  sat  under  his  teaching.  Its  influence 
will  last  through  all  time  and  over  into  eternity. 
The  same  earnest  note  has  ever  been  sounded  out 
in  the  prayer  circle  and  at  every  meeting  of  the 
Christian  Endeavor  societies. 

"In  his  pastoral  work  Doctor  Colville  has  been 
most  untiring  and  to  it  not  a  little  of  his  success 
has  been  due.  No  night  so  dark,  no  storm  so 
pitiless  that  he  has  not  been  ready  to  respond  to 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     167 

the  call  for  help,  even  when  it  was  at  the  cost  of 
personal  comfort  and  often  when  accompanied  by 
severe  bodily  pain.  The  quality  of  sympathy  for 
every  human  need  has  been  beautifully  exemplified 
by  this  side  of  our  pastor's  life.  And  with  this 
tenderness  there  has  always  been  a  manliness  that 
has  stood  four-square  in  every  spot  and  place. 
Doctor  Colville  has  dodged  no  hard  duty  or  kept 
silence  when  a  question  of  right  and  wrong  was  at 
issue. 

"In  all  his  work  among  us  Doctor  Colville  had 
the  whole-hearted  support  of  his  sainted  wife  as 
long  as  she  was  with  us.  By  her  sweet  and  gen- 
tle disposition  she  was  a  help  and  a  blessing  to 
every  one  who  came  in  contact  with  her ;  and  many 
were  brought  to  the  Saviour  through  the  beauty 
and  the  simplicity  of  her  life  and  the  loveliness 
which  unconsciously  radiated  from  her.  The 
hearty  cooperation  of  the  daughters,  too,  has 
strengthened  the  hold  of  the  family  upon  us. 
Since  the  calling  away  of  the  mother  they  have 
bravely  and  loyally  taken  up  the  work  she  laid 
down  and  carried  it  forward  in  a  most  gracious 
spirit.  So  that  through  these  years  the  West 
Church  has  stood  a  tower  of  strength  and  bless- 
ing, not  only  to  the  West  Side  but  to  the  entire 
city  and  country  round  about;  for  Doctor  Col- 


168     Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

ville's  service  has  overflowed  and  made  him  a 
benison  to  the  whole  life  of  Binghamton  and  the 
surrounding  country. 

"Now,  therefore,  since  the  time  has  come  when 
the  relations  existing  between  Doctor  Colville  and 
this  people  must  be  broken, 

''Resolved,  That  we  hereby  express  our  deep 
sense  of  loss  at  parting  from  him  and  his  dear 
ones. 

'Tiesolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be 
presented  to  Doctor  Colville  and  that  the  same  be 
spread  upon  the  minutes  of  the  records  of  this 
church  and  ordered  printed  in  the  daily  papers  of 
this  city." 

REV.  MR.  Mccormick  called  and 

REGULARLY  INSTALLED 

On  February  nth,  1914,  just  as  the  West 
Church  was  closing  the  forty-first  year  of  its  his- 
tory. Rev.  Arthur  Burd  McCormick,  pastor  of  the 
Central  Presbyterian  Church,  New  Castle,  Pa., 
received,  and  later  accepted,  a  call  to  succeed  Dr. 
Colville  in  the  pastorate. 

He  was  duly  installed  on  the  evening  of  Thurs- 
day, May  7,  1914,  Rev.  Paul  R.  Hoppe,  of  Mc- 
Graw,  moderator  of  the  Presbytery,  presiding. 
Rev.  Robert  L.  Clark,  pastor  of  the  Tabernacle 


REV.  ARTHUR  B.  McCORMICK. 
Fourth   Pastor   of   the   West   Church, 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     169 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  offered  the  opening 
prayer. 

The  sermon  was  delivered  by  Rev.  C.  Waldo 
Cherry,  D.  D.,  of  Central  Presbyterian  Church, 
Rochester,  N.  Y.  Following  the  Constitutional 
Questions  and  the  Installation  Vows,  the  prayer 
of  installation  was  made  by  Rev.  Samuel  Dun- 
ham, pastor  emeritus  of  the  West  Church  and  pas- 
tor of  the  Floral  Avenue  Church. 

Rev.  Daniel  N.  Grummon,  of  Ross  Memorial 
Church,  gave  the  charge  to  the  pastor,  and  Rev. 
Alvin  C.  Sawtelle,  of  the  North  Church,  the 
charge  to  the  people. 

At  the  close  of  the  services  the  newly  installed 
pastor  received  the  cordial  greetings  of  the  officers 
and  members  of  the  congregation. 

Mr.  McCormick  was  born  in  Mercer,  Pa.,  and 
is  the  son  of  William  A.  McCormick,  an  attorney 
and  veteran  of  the  Civil  War.  He  was  educated 
in  Mercer  High  School,  Westminster  College, 
New  Wilmington,  Pa.,  and  Western  Theological 
Seminary,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

He  comes  from  successful  pastorates  at  North 
Warren  and  New  Castle,  Pa.,  and  is  a  strong, 
earnest  and  attractive  preacher.  He  comes  to  a 
splendid  field  that  is  full  of  promise,  the  church 
long  since  having  passed  the  period  of  its  severest 


170    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

*;■ 
struggles,  and  having  become  established  upon  a 

solid    basis,    with    every    prospect    of    unlimited 

growth  and  development. 

Brother  McCormick  is  to  be  heartily  congratu- 
lated upon  having  "come  to  the  kingdom  for  such 
a  time  as  this,"  when  all  the  conditions  and  indi- 
cations are  such  as  to  point  to  a  period  of  marked 
prosperity. 

In  the  full  prime  of  his  manhood  he  takes  up 
the  work  as  the  fourth  pastor  of  a  church  that 
looks  back  gratefully  upon  forty-one  years  of 
steady,  stable  growth,  and  hopefully  forward  to 
many  uncounted  years  of  progress  and  abundant 
fruitfulness. 

MR.  DUNHAM'S  CONTINUOUS  LABORS 

Meanwhile  as  'Tastor  Emeritus,"  Mr.  Dunham 
has  continued,  almost  without  interruption,  to 
preach  in  many  pulpits  of  the  city  and  elsewhere 
in  the  churches  of  this  vicinity,  besides  meeting 
numerous  demands  from  his  old  parish.  From 
the  day  of  his  retirement  from  the  West  Church 
pastorate  he  has  found  little  time  to  be  idle. 

For  six  months  he  acted  as  supply  for  the  Con- 
gregational Church  of  Newark  Valley,  N.  Y.,  dur- 
ing the  absence  of  the  pastor.  Rev.  B.  B.  Knapp, 
in  the  West  Indies  in  quest  of  health. 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     171 

He  has  had  the  privilege  of  tiding  over  various 
churches  during  brief  intervals  of  vacancy  until 
they  could  secure  the  services  of  a  regular  pastor, 
and  has  had  repeated  assurances  that  the  service 
thus  rendered  to  the  churches  has  been  highly  ap- 
preciated. 

For  four  years  or  more  it  appeared  to  be  his 
special  mission  to  try  and  unite  and  strengthen 
the  brethren,  and  to  encourage  and  help  the  weaker 
churches.  He  counts  this  period  among  the  really 
serviceable  and  useful  years  of  his  ministry. 

CALLED  TO  FLORAL  AVENUE  CHURCH 

His  labors  as  acting  pastor  of  the  Floral  Ave- 
nue Presbyterian  Church,  Binghamton,  began 
June  1st,  1906.  After  laboring  for  ten  months 
in  that  capacity  a  unanimous  call  was  extended 
inviting  him  to  become  their  pastor,  Dr.  John  Mc- 
Vey  acting  as  moderator  of  the  meeting. 

The  call  was  formally  issued  the  31st  day  of 
March,  1907.  To  which,  on  April  7,  the  follow- 
ing reply  was  made : 

''To  the  Floral  Avenue  Presbyterian  Church  and 

Congregation  of  Binghamton. 

"Beloved  Brethren:  Your  unanimous  call 
for  my  pastoral  services  has  been  formally  laid 


172    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

before  me,  and  has  received  my  most  conscientious 
and  prayerful  consideration. 

''With  undivided  heart  and  with  perfect  una- 
nimity of  action,  and,  apparently,  with  the  utmost 
good  feeling  and  affection,  you  have  invited  me  to 
assume  one  of  the  most  tender  and  sacred  of  all 
human  relationships. 

''Ever  since,  some  five  years  ago,  I  laid  down  my 
happy  pastorate  of  nearly  30  years'  duration  in  the 
West  Presbyterian  Church,  this  city,  the  entrance 
again  upon  full  pastoral  duties  has  been  far  from 
my  thought. 

"But  this  cordial  expression  of  your  continued 
confidence  and  esteem,  after  these  ten  months  of 
continuous  labor  amongst  you,  has  deeply  touched 
my  heart,  and  is,  I  assure  you,  sincerely  appre- 
ciated. 

"Considering  all  the  circumstances  I  can  hardly 
view  your  call  in  any  other  light  than  as  a  clear 
and  emphatic  call  of  God  which  I  am  at  liberty 
neither  to  ignore  nor  refuse. 

"I  hereby  signify,  therefore,  my  glad  and  hearty 
acceptance  of  your  call,  humbly  invoking  upon  my 
decision  the  signal  blessing  and  gracious  favor  of 
the  Great  Head  of  the  Church.  I  shall  always 
count  it  a  pleasant  memory  that  your  call  was  is- 
sued amid  the  rejoicing  of  our  Easter  Sunday,  and 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     173 

accepted  amid  the  joy  and  gladness  of  our  great 
memorial  feast  at  the  Lord's  table. 

'Trom  this  day  forward,  so  long  as  this  pas- 
toral relation  exists,  I  shall  endeavor  to  serve  you 
to  the  best  of  my  ability.  It  shall  be  my  con- 
stant aim  to  promote  your  interests  in  every  way 
and  by  every  means  in  my  power.  In  this — since 
the  relation  is  a  purely  mutual  one — it  is  but  rea- 
sonable that  I  should  expect  the  most  thorough 
and  constant  cooperation,  assistance  and  support 
of  all  the  people.  Otherwise  our  hopes  will  be 
frustrated,  and  the  best  results  rendered  impossi- 
ble. 

"This  field,  I  am  well  aware,  does  not  hold  out 
any  alluring  prospect  of  ease  and  comfortable, 
restful  leisure  such  as  I  had  hoped  some  time  to 
enjoy;  but  it  does  plainly  offer  the  higher  and 
nobler  attraction  of  plenty  of  hard  work,  and  the 
necessity  of  persistent,  painstaking  effort,  and 
opens  up  to  me  the  vision  of  large  possibilities  of 
usefulness  in  labor  for  your  highest  welfare. 

"So,  brethren,  I  meet  your  summons  with 
courageous,  hopeful  spirit,  and  with  a  response  as 
full  and  free,  as  cordial  and  genuine  as  that  with 
which  your  invitation  has  been  extended  to  me. 

"With  wise  administration  and  management, 
and  a  generous,  unstinted  use  of  the  means  at  our 


174    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

disposal,  with  unwavering  faith  in  God,  and  firm, 
steadfast  loyalty  to  Christ  and  His  revealed  word 
and  truth;  with  unfaltering  courage  and  hope,  and 
with  a  never  ceasing,  ever  present  sense  of  com- 
plete dependence  upon  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  coupled  always  with  a  truly  brotherly,  help- 
ful, harmonious  spirit,  and  the  earnest  coopera- 
tion and  undivided  effort  of  every  individual  mem- 
ber of  the  church  and  congregation,  we  may  as- 
suredly expect  and  confidently  look  for  the  rapid 
and  substantial  growth,  enlargement  and  increas- 
ing strength  and  prosperity  of  this  younger 
member  of  the  sisterhood  of  Binghamton's 
churches. 

"  'With  malice  toward  none,  with  charity  for 
all,  with  firmness  in  the  right,  as  God  gives  us  to 
see  the  right' ;  with  an  ever  upward  look  and  a 
determined  purpose  that  nothing  can  ever  daunt, 
let  us  give  to  God  the  very  best  that  is  in  us,  and 
enter  at  once  here  upon  a  simultaneous  forward 
movement  for  the  winning  of  souls,  the  seeking 
and  reclaiming  of  the  erring,  the  instruction  and 
training  of  the  children  and  youth,  the  edification 
and  comfort  of  one  another,  the  welcoming  of  new 
comers  and  strangers  with  the  ever  ready  right 
hand  of  cordial  greeting,  the  strengthening  of  the 
bonds  of  a  loving  Christian  fellowship,  and  the 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century    175 

growth  in  grace  of  us  all — 'for  as  much  as  ye  know 
that  your  labor  is  not  in  vain  in  the  Lord.' 
"Faithfully  yours, 

"Samuel  Dunham. 
"35  North  Street,  Binghamton,  April  7,  1907." 

THE  FLORAL  AVENUE  PASTORATE  AND 
THIRD  TRIP  ABROAD 

From  the  first  God  has  greatly  prospered  our 
undertaking,  resulting  in  a  number  of  valuable 
improvements,  a  marked  advance  in  the  offerings 
for  benevolence,  increased  interest  in  missions  and 
in  various  lines  of  religious  activity,  as  well  as  a 
large  increase  in  our  church  membership. 

The  first  year  59  persons  were  added  to  the 
church,  the  second  year  40,  and  the  third  year  62, 
making  an  accession  of  80  on  confession  and  8 1  by 
letter  during  the  first  three  years. 

The  growth  has  been  continuous  throughout  the 
more  than  eight  years  of  our  pastorate. 

Notwithstanding  the  early  division  of  our  very 
limited  field  by  the  organization  of  a  church  of  an- 
other denomination,  in  the  same  locality,  there 
has  been  an  average  accession  of  about  40  members 
per  year,  so  that  in  spite  of  heavy  losses  by  death 
and  dismission  the  membership  during  this  pas- 
torate has  risen  from  191  to  over  320. 


176    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

Within  the  same  period  a  number  of  new  and 
flourishing  church  organizations  have  been  estab- 
lished, including  among  others  the  Junior  Chris- 
tian Endeavor  Society,  the  Ever  Ready  Circle 
of  the  King's  Daughters,  the  Floralminster  Bible 
Class  for  men  and  the  Brotherhood. 

Several  important  additions  and  improvements 
have  been  made  to  the  church  property,  among 
them  the  purchase  of  a  parsonage,  the  replacing  of 
the  old  chairs  with  handsome  pews  in  the  audi- 
torium, the  construction  of  two  convenient  rooms 
in  the  basement  (largely  by  the  volunteer  labor 
of  the  men  of  the  church),  the  laying  of  hard- 
wood floors,  enlarging  of  the  pulpit  platform, 
building  an  organ  recess  and  the  installation  of  a 
new  organ. 

During  the  past  year  (1913)  the  church  has  as- 
sumed full  self-support,  the  old  mortgage  has  been 
satisfied  and  entirely  wiped  out  through  the  gen- 
erosity of  the  Presbyterian  Union,  and  the  church 
property  deeded  to  the  Society  free  and  clear  of  all 
incumbrance. 

Meanwhile  in  these  last  years  the  benevolent 
contributions  of  the  church  have  been  very  largely 
in  excess  of  those  of  any  previous  period  of  the 
church's  history,  having  increased  more  than  900 
per  cent,  in  the  last  eight  years. 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     177 

At  the  present  time  West  End  is  experiencing 
a  marked  growth  in  population  which  promises 
much  for  the  future  of  Floral  Avenue  Church. 

In  the  Summer  of  1910  Mr.  Dunham  was 
granted  a  three  months'  leave  of  absence  from  his 
people,  during  which  time,  accompanied  by  Mrs. 
Dunham  and  a  party  of  ten  other  ladies,  he  en- 
joyed his  third  tour  abroad. 

Sailing  from  New  York  July  9th  for  Naples, 
we  journeyed  successively  through  Italy,  Switzer- 
land, Germany,  France,  Belgium,  Holland,  Eng- 
land and  Scotland,  returning  via  Glasgow  the  last 
of  September. 

The  tour  included  the  wonderful  Passion  Play 
at  Oberammergau,  and  the  most  notable  objects  of 
interest  in  the  many  cities  and  countries  visited. 

In  May,  1912,  the  twentieth  anniversary  of 
Floral  Avenue  Church  was  celebrated  with  fitting 
services. 

The  occasion  was  one  of  deep  interest.  Rev. 
Albert  W.  Allen,  of  Syracuse,  Mr.  Dunham's  im- 
mediate predecessor  for  a  brief  period,  preached 
an  appropriate  sermon  on  the  Sabbath  preceding 
the  anniversary,  and  on  the  following  evening  a 
reunion  of  the  members  and  friends  of  the  church 
was  held.  Letters  from  former  pastors  unable  to 
be  present  were  read.     Congratulatory  addresses 


178    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

were  given  by  several  of  the  city  clergy,  and  a  care- 
fully prepared  historical  sketch  was,  by  request, 
presented  by  Mr.  G.  M.  T.  Johnson,  one  of  the 
oldest  of  the  surviving  original  members  of  the 
church. 

This  interesting  sketch  was  in  continuation  of  a 
report  given  by  Mr.  Johnson  at  the  tenth  anni- 
versary in  May,  1902  (see  Appendix  at  the  end  of 
this  volume). 

FIFTY  YEARS  IN  THE  MINISTRY 

Easter  Sunday,  April  12,  1914,  marked  the 
seventh  anniversary  of  Mr.  Dunham's  formal  call 
to  assume  the  full  pastoral  care  of  Floral  Ave- 
nue Church.  He  took  that  occasion  to  announce 
to  the  congregation  that  the  fiftieth  anniversary 
of  his  ordination  to  the  Christian  ministry  would 
occur  on  October  4,  1914,  and  that  it  was  his  in- 
tention at  that  time  to  present  his  resignation  and 
retire  from  the  pastorate  after  a  full  half  century 
of  continuous  and  unbroken  service  in  the  sacred 
office  as  a  minister  of  the  Gospel. 

It  has  been  for  him  a  half  century  of  strenuous 
labors,  of  incessant  activity,  of  manifold  diversi- 
fied experiences,  of  steadily  deepening  convictions 
and  ever  widening  vision ;  of  sorrows  and  trials  in 
full  measure,  but  sweetened  and  happily  overbal- 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     170 

anced  by  a  countless  multitude  of  compensating 
blessings.  In  the  world  at  large  it  has  been  a 
period  of  prodigious  energy  and  progress,  a  half 
century  of  miracles  and  marvels. 

But,  as  we  cast  our  eyes  backward  over  the  van- 
ished years  to  the  days  of  our  young  manhood, 
scarcely  less  a  marvel  and  a  mystery  seems  the  way 
in  which  the  Lord  hath  graciously  led  us.  To 
Him  be  all  the  glory ! 

ACTIVITIES  NOT  LIMITED  TO  HIS  OWN 

PARISH 

In  the  Providence  of  God  our  personal  activities 
have,  by  no  means,  been  confined  to  the  narrow 
limits  of  our  own  parish.  Many  responsible  du- 
ties outside  those  limits  have  been  thrust  upon  us. 
The  "Biographical  Record  of  the  Class  of  i860," 
of  Yale  University,  contains  among  other  things 
these  statements  relative  to  the  author  of  these 
pages:  "Member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the 
Bingham  ton  Presbyterian  Union  since  1890,  and 
of  the  board  of  trustees  of  Binghamton  Presbytery 
for  about  the  same  period.  For  thirty  years  treas- 
urer of  Binghamton  Presbytery.  The  first  presi- 
dent of  the  New  England  Society  of  Binghamton. 
Secretary  of  the  City  Ministerial  Association  for 
the  last  forty  years,  still  in  office,  and  for  ten  years 


180    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

its  treasurer  also.  For  ten  years  secretary  of  the 
Broome  County  Bible  Society.  Member  of  the 
Broome  County  Historical  Society,  and  of  the 
National  Geographic  Society,  Director  of  the 
Broome  County  Humane  Society,  commissioner  to 
Auburn  Theological  Seminary,  synodical  visitor  to 
Union  Theological  Seminary,  member  of  the  ex- 
ecutive committee  of  the  New  York  State  Chris- 
tian Endeavor  Union,  eighteen  years  on  the  board 
of  examiners  of  Elmira  College  (by  appointment 
of  the  Synod  of  the  State),  President  of  the  State 
Sabbath  Convention,  held  at  Bingham  ton  in  1890, 
that  organized  "The  New  York  State  Sabbath 
Association,"  representing  fourteen  different  de- 
nominations, and  Auxiliary  to  the  Lord's  Day 
Alliance  of  the  United  States,  commissioner  to  the 
General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
the  United  States  of  America  at  Cleveland,  Sara- 
toga, Minneapolis,  New  York  City,  Winona  Lake, 
Ind.,  Los  Angeles,  etc. 

Following  the  meeting  of  the  General  Assembly 
at  Minneapolis  in  1886  we  joined  with  about  a 
hundred  and  fifty  commissioners  in  a  most  inter- 
esting Home  Missionary  excursion  along  the  beau- 
tiful lakes  of  Minnesota  and  among  the  magnifi- 
cent, seemingly  interminable  wheat  fields  of  the 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     181 

Dakotas,  visiting  all  the  Home  Mission  stations 
on  the  route,  and  receiving  at  many  points  wel- 
comes with  brass  bands,  carriages,  speeches,  colla- 
tions, ovations  and  every  sort  of  token  of  appre- 
ciation throughout  our  journeys  all  the  way  to  the 
then  extreme  northern  limit  of  travel  at  "Devil's 
Lake,"  North  Dakota,  Fort  Totten  and  the  In- 
dian Reservation.  It  was  a  tour  not  soon  to  be 
forgotten,  and  well  worthy  of  a  place  among  some 
of  our  happiest  recollections. 

Some  years  later,  with  a  party  of  business  men 
from  another  city,  we  made  a  somewhat  unique 
and  unusual  trip  on  a  special  mission  down  to  New 
Mexico  as  far  as  Silver  City,  and  thence  some 
eighty-five  miles  by  carriages  up,  up,  up  into  the 
MogoUon  mountains,  the  mining  district  of  that 
country. 

On  this  tour  we  learned  something  about  schools 
and  churches  and  social  and  political  conditions, 
and  about  agricultural  possibilities,  but  more 
about  mines,  miners  and  mining  camps,  about  cow- 
boys, ranches,  rough  roads,  rocks,  rough  and  peril- 
ous riding,  ominous  wash-outs,  deep  and  dangerous 
gullies,  and  fording  swollen,  dashing  streams  with- 
out bridges.  All  this,  added  to  our  contact  with  a 
medley   of   Mexicans,    Indians   and   a   strangely 


182     Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

mixed  population,  made  things  interesting,  and 
served  to  fix  our  peculiar  experiences  well  in  mem- 
ory. 

Mr.  Dunham  has  also  been  often  called  to 
preach  and  take  other  parts  at  ordinations,  instal- 
lations, dedications  and  numerous  other  public  oc- 
casions, as  well  as  to  give  lectures  on  his  travels 
or  other  themes  before  various  bodies  in  many 
places. 

He  has  made  two  trips  across  the  continent. 
One  in  the  Summer  of  1897,  when,  in  company 
with  John  R.  Clements,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Albert  B. 
Brown  and  Benjamin  A.  Baumann  of  Bingham- 
ton,  and  a  host  of  prominent  Endeavorers  from 
different  parts  of  the  State,  he  went  to  attend  the 
great  International  Christian  Endeavor  Conven- 
tion at  San  Francisco,  spending  a  Sunday  at  Salt 
Lake  City  and  attending  a  monster  meeting  in  the 
big  Tabernacle  on  their  outward  journey,  and  re- 
turning by  way  of  Portland,  Seattle  and  Yellow 
Stone  Park. 

He  crossed  the  continent  again  in  1903  with 
Mrs.  Dunham,  Rev.  Daniel  N.  Grummon,  a  fel- 
low commissioner.  Miss  Mary  E.  Edgerton  (now 
Mrs.  Grummon)  and  a  number  of  Philadelphia 
friends,  to  attend  the  sessions  of  the  General  As- 
sembly at  Los  Angeles. 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     183 

The  journey  thither  took  us  through  Albu- 
querque, New  Mexico,  where  we  spent  an  ever  to 
be  remembered  Sabbath,  returning  via  Salt  Lake 
City,  Pike's  Peak,  the  "Garden  of  the  Gods,"  and 
the  thrilling  scenery  of  the  Rockies  contrasting 
with  the  sacred  quiet  of  a  beautiful  Sunday  in  the 
city  of  Denver. 

The  "Biographical  Record"  referred  to  also 
names  among  Mr.  Dunham's  publications  the  fol- 
lowing : 

"An  Historical  Discourse  Delivered  at  West 
Brookfield,  Mass.,  on  the  Occasion  of  the  One 
Hundred  and  Fiftieth  Anniversary  of  the  First 
Church  in  Brookfield,"  and  other  historical  papers. 

Address  at  the  "One  Hundred  and  Fiftieth  An- 
niversary of  the  First  Congregational  Society, 
Southington,  Conn.,"  included  in  the  volume  (pp, 
845)  of  "Sketches  of  Southington." 

Contributions  to  a  volume  in  memory  of  Mrs. 
Henry  L.  Clapp,  of  New  York  City. 

"The  Nation's  Tears,"  a  sermon  in  memory  of 
President  Garfield. 

"In  Memoriam,  Mrs.  William  R.  Black,"  who 
died  in  Edinburgh,  Scotland. 

"In  Memoriam,  Mrs.  Samuel  Dunham." 

"Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry"  (in  course 
of  preparation),  including  the  History  of  the  West 


184    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

Presbyterian  Church,  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  from 
its  organization  in  1873. 


FINAL  RETROSPECT  AND  REFLECTIONS 

In  the  larger  retrospect,  now,  of  the  whole 
period  of  my  ministry,  after  minutely  surveying 
all  these  many  years  of  peculiar  blessing,  the  dom- 
inant sentiment  of  my  heart  is  one  of  sincere  grat- 
itude to  God.  Reviewing  the  precious  past,  look- 
ing back  over  all  the  way  in  which  the  Lord  hath 
led  me,  how  can  I  be  other  than  deeply  thankful  ^ 
I  am  grateful  to  God  for  the  preciousness  of  the 
message  with  which  He  has  entrusted  me. 

I  thank  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord  for  putting  me 
into  the  ministry  in  this  particular  day  and  age, 
that  it  has  been  my  great  privilege  to  preach  "the 
glorious  Gospel  of  the  blessed  God"  in  the  clos- 
ing decades  of  the  nineteenth  century  and  in  the 
opening  years  of  the  twentieth. 

Devoutly  thankful  am  I,  also,  that  it  has  been 
given  me  to  exercise  my  ministry  in  this  best  of 
all  lands,  and  so  large  a  part  of  it  in  this  most 
beautiful  city. 

Further  abundant  reason  have  I  to  thank  the 
good  Lord  that  my  lot  as  a  pastor  has  been  cast 
for  so  many  years  among  a  loyal  and  loving  peo- 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     185 

pie,  whose  numberless  kindnesses  can  never  be  for- 
gotten. 

By  no  means  least  among  the  many  occasions 
for  thanksgiving  in  this  review,  are  the  precious 
results  by  God's  blessing  achieved  during  all  these 
years  of  strenuous  labor,  results  visible  and  results 
invisible. 

The  church  to  which  many  of  the  best  years  of 
my  life  have  been  devoted,  has  enjoyed  many  sea- 
sons of  spiritual  refreshing,  and  the  membership 
has  steadily  advanced  from  year  to  year. 

In  several  instances  the  annual  accessions  have 
been  encouragingly  large, — as  many  as  45,  46, 
57,  74,  87,  98,  108,  and  120  in  a  single  year. 

In  all  the  twenty-nine  years  of  my  pastorate 
over  the  West  Church,  very  few  communion  sea- 
sons have  passed  without  a  number  of  additions  to 
the  membership. 

WHAT  MEANTIME  HAS  TRANSPIRED  IN 
THE  WORLD  ABOUT  US? 

We  have  little  need  to  enlarge  upon  what  has 
been  going  on  around  us  all  these  years, — how  the 
city's  population  has  quadrupled  in  numbers;  how 
churches  and  Sunday  schools  and  humane  and 
charitable  institutions  have  multiplied  on  all 
sides;  how  the  pastors  of  all  the  city  churches, 


186     Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

and  of  all  the  churches  of  Bingham  ton  Presby- 
tery, and  most  of  those  of  the  State,  have  come 
and  gone,  how  a  long  line  of  leading  citizens,  in- 
cluding men  and  women  prominent  in  the 
churches,  have  passed  away  and  given  place  to 
a  new  and  younger  generation;  how  the  children 
of  a  generation  ago  have  grown  to  manhood  and 
womanhood,  and  how  men,  then  in  their  prime, 
are  beginning  to  stoop  with  age;  how  change  has 
followed  swiftly  upon  change  in  our  homes,  in 
the  community,  in  our  country  and  throughout  the 
whole  world. 

Science,  invention,  discovery  never  made  more 
rapid  strides  than  during  the  period  covered  by 
this  review.  It  has  been  a  period  marked  by  the 
rise  and  fall  of  nations,  radical  revolutions  and 
governmental  changes,  as  in  Mexico,  South  Amer- 
ica, Spain,  Portugal,  France,  Germany,  Italy, 
Japan,  China,  Korea,  Russia,  Turkey,  Persia,  not 
to  speak  of  the  vast  expansion,  the  newly  acquired 
possessions,  and  wholly  changed  conditions  and 
relations  in  our  own  country  since  the  close  of  the 
Civil  War.  Public  sentiment  has  materially 
changed,  and  improved  legislation  has  followed  in 
its  wake. 

The  humanities  and  the  charities  have  kept  pace 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     187 

with  the  general  progress,  and  numerous  beneficent 
institutions  of  all  sorts  have  sprung  up  as  if  by 
magic.  The  wealth  of  the  United  States  has  been 
vastly  increased  in  an  incredibly  short  time. 

A  multitude  of  institutions  of  learning  have 
arisen,  many  of  which  have  been  endowed  with 
the  princely  fortunes  of  millionaires.  Poor, 
struggling  colleges  have  grown  into  great,  richly 
endowed  universities. 

The  tides  of  immigration  have  been  setting  with 
ever  increasing  volume  towards  America,  and  for- 
eign immigrants  by  the  million  have  found  refuge 
and  homes  on  our  shores. 

Modern  missions  date  their  principal  advances 
and  nearly  all  of  their  more  notable  triumphs 
within  the  few  decades  embraced  in  our  retros- 
pect. 

The  great,  comprehensive  missionary  operations 
of  this  day,  both  Home  and  Foreign,  have  reached 
gigantic  proportions,  which  are  the  promise  and 
prophecy  of  yet  more  splendid  victories  for  Christ 
in  the  near  future. 

Easily  within  our  memory  the  temperance  cause 
has  made  tremendous  progress.  Wave  after  wave 
of  temperance  reform,  under  different  auspices 
with  widely  differing  methods  and  in  a  variety  of 


188    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

forms,  has  swept  over  the  land,  until  now  the 
bright  dawn  of  "rosy-fingered  morning"  begins  to 
flush  the  eastern  sky. 

The  Peace  Movement,  too,  in  the  last  genera- 
tion, has  assumed  wide-spread  and  far-reaching 
importance.  An  increasingly  strong  anti-war  sen- 
timent is  rapidly  spreading  throughout  the  nations 
of  the  earth.  And,  in  our  judgment,  this  senti- 
ment is  bound  to  take  yet  deeper,  more  wide- 
spread and  permanent  root  in  the  hearts  of  the 
people  before  the  close  of  the  present  barbaric 
death-struggle  between  the  warring  powers  of 
Europe.  This  last  brutal,  revolting  and  deplor- 
able exhibition  (August,  1914)  of  human  nature 
at  its  worst  will  be  likely  to  prove  one  of  the 
mightiest  arguments  yet  produced  for  the  hasten- 
ing on  of  that  day  when  wars  shall  ''Cease  unto 
the  end  of  the  earth,"  when  "Nation  shall  not  lift 
up  sword  against  nation,  neither  shall  they  learn 
war  any  more." 

All  these  things — these  marked  changes,  move- 
ments, advances,  moral  and  Christian  triumphs, 
the  splendid  fruit  of  the  glorious  Gospel  of  Christ, 
— in  behalf  of  humanity  and  in  the  interest  of 
"the  Prince  of  Peace,"  manifestly  betoken  the  ap- 
proach of  the  time  when  Christian  unity  and 
church  federation  shall  be  not  merely  a  pleasant 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     189 

dream,  but  when  the  Savior's  fervent  prayer  "that 
they  all  may  be  one"  shall  become  a  blessed  re- 
ality throughout  all  the  realms  of  Christendom; 
giving  brightest  promise,  also,  of  that  coming  day 
when — 

"The  whole  round  world  is  every  way 

Bound  by  gold  chains  about  the  feet  of  God." 

Surely  we  have  great  reason  to  rejoice  and  to 
thank  God  for  all  healthful  progress  made,  both 
in  the  church  and  throughout  the  community  and 
the  world. 

"The  Lord  hath  done  great  things  for  us, 
whereof  we  are  glad."  Well  may  we  in  these 
brighter  days  "Enter  into  his  gates  with  thanks- 
giving, and  into  his  courts  with  praise."  Well 
may  we  "be  thankful  unto  him,  and  bless  his 
name.  For  the  Lord  is  good;  his  mercy  is  ever- 
lasting; and  his  truth  endureth  to  all  generations." 

Our  work  is  done,  well  or  ill,  and  the  completer 
record  is  on  high.  Little  did  any  of  us  think, 
when  we  were  planting  that  humble  little  vine  in 
yonder  consecrated  soil,  in  the  bleak  and  stormy 
Winter  of  1873,  ^^^^  our  toils,  and  prayers  and 
tears  and  lives  would  flow  on  thus  together  for 
more  than  a  third  of  a  century. 

"Man  proposes;  God  disposes."     And  as  we 


190    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

turn  our  eyes  backward  over  the  sometimes  rough 
path  we  have  traversed,  how  clearly  visible  is  the 
hand  that  has  guided  us  all  the  way  I 

Let  us  hope  that  our  "day  of  small  things"  is 
passed,  and  that  there  lie  before  us  years  of  larger 
plans,  of  richer  increase,  of  sweeter  fruitage,  of 
far  nobler  achievement  in  all  that  pertains  to  the 
Kingdom  of  Christ  on  earth. 

VOLUMES  OF  UNWRITTEN  HISTORY 

LOCKED  UP  IN  THE  SECRET 

HEART  OF  THE  YEARS 

But  we  may  not  linger  longer  in  the  realm  of 
reminiscence,  whether  pleasant  or  sad.  What  lies 
ahead ^  What  is  the  record  yonder?  It  is  little 
of  our  real  history  that  admits  of  earthly  registry. 

We  may  glance  back  over  these  years  that  have 
flown  so  swiftly  and  trace  with  pen  a  few  leading 
events.  But  there  remains  still  locked  up  in  the 
secret  heart  of  these  years  an  unwritten  history  of 
multitudinous  thoughts;  an  unwritten  history  of 
varied  and  mingled  emotions;  an  unwritten  his- 
tory of  diverse  purposes  and  motives  and  secret 
resolves;  an  unwritten  history  of  individual  speech 
and  act,  which  can  never  go  upon  any  human  rec- 
ord. 

There  is  a  whole  undiscovered  world  of  heart- 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     191 

history  lying  back  in  these  years,  which  will  never 
have  a  chronicler.  There  is  a  history  of  mutual, 
tender  affection  between  pastor  and  people,  and 
between  the  pastor's  family  and  the  families  of 
the  people,  which  will  never  find  a  place  in  any 
memorandum  book,  and  which  never  can  be  writ- 
ten out  in  any  annals.  There  is  a  holy  history  of 
love  and  grief,  of  prayer  and  conflict,  of  tempta- 
tion and  struggle,  of  moral  defeat  and  moral  vic- 
tory, at  once  too  sacred,  and  too  deeply  embedded 
within  the  individual  breast,  ever  to  be  revealed 
to  mortal  gaze. 

But,  remember,  these  volumes  of  unwritten  his- 
tory are,  by  no  means,  lost.  All  these  unrecorded 
thoughts,  words,  deeds,  feelings,  motives,  pur- 
poses, loves,  hates,  hopes  and  fears,  joys  and  sor- 
rows, battles  and  triumphs,  are  forever  embalmed 
and  preserved;  for  they  have  all  gone  irrevocably 
into  our  own  individual  characters;  they  have 
been  all  absorbed  in  our  personal  manhood,  there 
to  remain  until  the  books  are  opened  out  of  which 
we  are  to  be  judged. 

It  is  of  inconceivably  greater  concern,  therefore, 
for  us  to  inquire  what  this  unwritten,  yet  in- 
delible, record  has  been,  rather  than  that  we  should 
seek  to  know  what  is  merely  outward  and  visible. 

By  far  the  larger  part  of  all  the  outcome  of 


192    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

our  religious  effort  is  of  that  intangible  sort  which 
admits  of  no  human  measurement. 

You  can  number  the  successive  layers  that  pre- 
cisely indicate  the  yearly  growth  of  a  tree.  But 
you  can  never  thus  accurately  mark  the  stages  in 
the  advance  of  a  Christian  church,  or  count  the 
concentric  circles  in  the  development  of  a  man's 
character. 

In  the  life  of  a  true  Church  of  Christ  there  are 
multitudes  of  effects,  impressions,  impulses,  as- 
pirations, struggles,  victories,  in  the  estimate  of 
which  arithmetic  yields  no  help.  For  they  are 
processes  or  results  in  a  sphere  where  no  figures 
can  ever  compute  them.  Without  doubt,  the  very 
best  of  all  the  fruits  of  the  Christian  ministry,  and, 
indeed,  of  all  Christian  labor,  are  just  those  which 
will  never,  in  this  world,  be  weighed,  measured  or 
enumerated,  and  which  are  in  danger  even  of  elud- 
ing notice,  and  escaping  recognition  altogether. 

For  a  right  valuation  of  such  toil  and  its  results 
we  must  be  content  to  wait  till  we  shall  reach  the 
end  of  an  infinite  series  of  causes  and  effects,  or, 
at  least,  till  the  completed  record  shall  be  submit- 
ted to  the  all-searching  scrutiny  of  Him  who 
knows  even  "the  thoughts  and  intents  of  the 
heart."  The  whole  moral  influence  of  a  church, 
or  of  any  individual  disciple,   can  no  more  be 


The  Life  Story  of  Half  a  Century     193 

measured  than  you  can  "bind  the  sweet  influences 
of  the  Pleiades,"  or  bottle  up  a  sunbeam,  or  weigh 
the  fragrance  of  a  rose. 

More  than  one  thousand  years  ago  the  mortar 
used  in  the  construction  of  the  Church  of  St. 
Sophia  in  Constantinople  was  charged  with  musk, 
and  the  perfume,  it  is  said,  permeates  the  build- 
ing to  this  day. 

Such  is  the  enduring  fragrance  of  a  good  deed. 
Such  is  the  self-perpetuating  power  of  Christian 
example, — the  abiding,  everlasting,  ever-diffusive 
influence  of  moral  goodness. 

By  far  the  richest  portion  of  all  these  years  of 
our  history  still  remains  unwritten.  But  it  will, 
nevertheless,  be  found,  for  years  and  generations 
to  come,  upon  the  soiled  or  unsoiled  pages  of  many 
a  life,  or  stamped  yet  more  ineffaceably  upon  the 
invisible  structure  of  character. 

"CHRIST  LIVES.     FORWARD!" 

As  we  look  back,  therefore,  over  the  by-gone 
years,  it  may  be  with  tearful  eyes  and  sorrowing 
hearts,  when  we  think  of  our  imperfect,  unsatis- 
factory lives,  and  behold  the  painful  record  of  our 
failures. 

But  let  us  give  no  place  to  despondency  or  fear. 
Rather,  relying  upon  the  grace  of  God,  let  us  sol- 


194    Retrospect  of  a  Happy  Ministry 

emnly  determine  to  make  a  better  record  in  the 
days  and  years  that  may  lie  before  us.  When 
Frederick  Barbarossa  was  leading  his  German  cru- 
saders in  the  twelfth  century  on  their  march 
through  Asia  Minor  to  Jerusalem,  he  heard  of  the 
death  of  his  son  Henry.  As  the  tears  coursed 
down  his  silvery  beard,  he  turned  to  his  army  and 
said,  "My  son  is  dead,  but  Christ  lives.  For- 
ward!" 

So  to  the  members  of  our  beloved  church,  the 
friends  of  many  happy  years,  soldiers  of  a 
mightier  Captain,  crusaders  in  a  holier  warfare,  to 
whom,  possibly,  the  retrospect  may  bring  only  sor- 
row and  sadness,  we  say,  whatever  your  occasion 
for  tears  and  regrets,  and  whatever  friends  or 
hopes  you  may  have  buried,  "Christ  lives.  For- 
ward!" 

Cast  a  veil  over  the  past  and  press  on  to  higher, 
nobler  things. 

"Build  thee  more  stately  mansions,  O  my  soul, 

As  the  swift  seasons  roll ; 

Leave  thy  low-vaulted  past; 

Let  each  new  temple,  nobler  than  the  last, 

Shut  thee  from  heaven  with  a  dome  more  vast; 

Till  thou  at  length  art  free, 

Leaving  thine  outgrown  shell  by  life's  unresting  sea." 


HISTORY    OF    THE    WEST     PRESBYTERIAN 
SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

THE   FIRST  TWENTY-FIVE   YEARS   PREPARED  BY  DR.   GEORGE 
F.  HAND,  AND  CONTINUED  BY  HON.  EDGAR  L.  VINCENT 

The  West  Presbyterian  Sabbath  School  of  Bingham- 
ton,  N.  Y.,  was  organized  at  the  close  of  morning  service 
in  the  chapel  January  19,  1873.  The  pastor,  Rev.  Sam- 
uel Dunham,  acted  as  chairman,  and  the  following  offi- 
cers were  unanimously  elected : 

Geo.  F.  Hand,  Superintendent. 

Morgan  L.  Barnes,  Assistant  Superintendent.  ' 

Henry  T.  Evans,  Librarian. 

Jas.  W.  Manier,  Secretary  and  Treasurer. 

Geo.  F.  Hand,  Mary  Osgood,  M.  L.  Barnes,  Library 
Committee. 

For  a  few  years  previous  to  the  organization  of  this 
school  a  neighborhood  Sunday  school  had  been  carried 
on  by  a  number  of  those  who  afterward  became  connected 
with  the  West  Church  and  who  recognized  the  need  of 
religious  work  in  this  portion  of  the  town.  Most  of  the 
time  this  school  met  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  H.  B.  Osgood, 
No.  78  Dickinson  Street. 

There  were  present  at  the  organization  of  the  school 
47  persons.  There  was  a  great  abundance  of  excellent 
teaching  material,  and  every  one  was  eager  to  help  along 
the  new  enterprise.  So  that  on  this  first  day  twelve 
classes  were  organized,  the  majority  of  them  containing 

197 


198  Appendix 

but  two  or  three  members  each.  At  this  time  the  Con- 
gregationalists  had  a  flourishing  school  on  this  side  of 
the  river  which  was  doing  much  active  missionary  work. 
There  was  also  a  Baptist  mission  school  located  on  Oak 
Street,  and  the  Methodists  were  just  about  organizing  a 
large  branch,  which  afterward  became  the  Tabernacle 
Church.  But  although  the  west  side  of  the  river  seemed 
abundantly  supplied  with  Sunday  schools  and  the  West 
Church  school  contained  very  few  children  at  the  outset, 
yet  it  grew  steadily  and  rapidly  until  at  the  close  of  the 
first  year  it  showed  an  average  attendance  for  the  year 
of  104  and  a  total  membership  of  176.  The  total  mem- 
bership, April  1,  1898,  was  464,  including  the  Home 
Department,  539,  and  the  average  attendance  for  the 
year  284. 

Dr.  Geo.  F.  Hand  served  the  school  as  superintendent 
until  Jan.  1st,  1881,  about  eight  years. 

Mr.  H.  J.  Gay  lord  served  in  this  capacity  during  1881 
and  1882. 

Jan.  1st,  1883,  David  Murray,  Esq.,  was  chosen  to  the 
office  of  superintendent  and  acted  as  such  about  two 
years. 

Jan.  1st,  1885,  Dr.  Geo.  F.  Hand  was  again  elected, 
and  served  for  two  years. 

Jan.  1st,  1887,  Mr.  H.  J.  Gaylord  was  again  chosen 
and  served  one  year. 

Jan.  1st,  1888,  Mr.  Thos.  M.  Greacen  was  elected  and 
performed  the  duties  of  superintendent  faithfully  for 
three  years. 

Jan.  1st,  1891,  Mr.  H.  J.  Gaylord  was  chosen  for  the 
third  time,  and  in  1898  still  retained  the  position. 


A'ppendix  199 

Jan.  19th,  1873,  Miss  Hattie  La  Grange  was  appointed 
superintendent  of  the  primary  department,  which  started 
with  ten  pupils.  She  remained  in  office  until  June  30th, 
1874,  when  she  resigned  to  enter  upon  the  Foreign  Mis- 
sionary work,  and  she  has  since  that  time  been  laboring 
under  the  Presbyterian  board  in  Tripoli,  Syria. 

Miss  Annie  Williams  was  selected  to  succeed  Miss  La 
Grange  and  remained  until  Jan.  1st,  1879. 

Jan.  1st,  1879,  Miss  Carrie  Stone  (now  Mrs.  C.  C. 
Jackson)  was  elected  and  had  charge  of  the  department 
for  three  years. 

Jan.  1st,  1882,  Mrs.  David  Murray  was  chosen  and 
served  one  year. 

Jan.  1st,  1883,  Miss  Nellie  A.  Barnes  (now  Mrs. 
Rev.  Geo.  Brock  of  Lockport,  N.  Y.)  was  elected  and 
remained  superintendent  for  the  four  succeeding  years. 

Jan.  1st,  1887,  Mrs.  J.  M.  Seabury  was  chosen  to  the 
office  and  filled  the  position  with  great  acceptance  and 
success. 

Mrs.  Seabury  continued  to  occupy  the  position  of 
primary  superintendent  until  1905,  when  by  reason  of  ill 
health  she  felt  compelled  to  lay  down  active  work.  She 
was  succeeded  by  Miss  Alice  Baker,  who  was  in  turn 
succeeded  by  her  sister.  Miss  Mae  Baker,  in  1908,  upon 
the  marriage  and  removal  from  our  city  of  Miss  Alice. 
At  the  beginning  of  the  year  1909,  Miss  Jean  Colville 
was  elected  to  this  responsible  position.  Miss  Baker  at 
her  own  request  retiring  from  the  place  by  reason  of  her 
school  duties  in  the  city. 

Miss  Colville  was  succeeded  by  Miss  Charlotte  Beuck- 
mann. 


200  Appendix 

Mr.  J.  W.  Manier  held  the  office  of  secretary  the  first 
year  after  the  organization  of  the  school. 

Jan.  1st,  1874,  M^'  ^^^-  ^'  Edwards  was  elected  and 
acted  in  this  capacity  for  three  years. 

Jan.  1st,  1877,  Mr.  Geo.  Williams,  Jr.,  was  chosen. 

Jan.  1st,  1878,  Mr.  Corliss  McKinney  was  elected  sec- 
retary, but  on  account  of  removal  from  the  city  Mr.  Geo. 
B.  Edwards  was  selected  to  fill  his  unexpired  term. 

Jan.  1st,  1879,  Mr.  Wm.  E.  Barnes  was  elected  sec- 
retary, and  after  one  year's  service  was  succeeded  on 
Jan.  1st,  1880,  by  Mr.  Wm.  H.  Finney,  who  served  the 
school  during  that  year. 

Jan.  1st,  1881,  Mr.  Geo.  B.  Edwards  was  again  elected, 
but  resigned  May  29th,  1881,  and  Mr.  B.  A.  Baumann 
served  until  Jan.  1st,  1882,  when  he  was  chosen  secretary 
and  served  with  great  fidelity  during  the  nine  succeeding 
years,  when  he  was  asked  to  go  up  higher  and  occupy  the 
office  of  assistant  superintendent. 

Jan.  1st,  1891,  Wm.  E.  Gurney  was  elected  and  served 
until  May  13,  1894,  when  Mr.  W.  H.  Bundy  was  chosen 
as  his  successor  and  held  the  position  until  April  7th, 
1895,  when  Mr.  W.  J.  Hadsall  was  elected  and  served 
until  April  5th,  1896.  At  this  time  Mr.  N.  E.  Luce  was 
elected  and  acted  as  secretary  until  July  4th,  1897. 

July  4th,  1897,  Mr.  Robert  Van  Inwegen  was  chosen. 

Jan.  4th,  1898,  Mr.  Arthur  C.  Mix  was  elected  to  the 
office. 

During  the  reconstruction  of  the  church  in  1885-6  the 
Sunday  school  held  its  sessions  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  rooms 
on  Court  Street  from  September  26th,  1885,  until  March 


Appendix  201 

28th,  1886,  when  we  reconvened  in  the  enlarged  and 
beautified  church. 

From  the  treasurer's  reports  the  following  statistics 
are  gleaned : 

The  collections  in  the  school  the  first  year  aggregated 
$83.74;  expenses  $26.50. 

The  collections  increased  with  the  growth  of  the  school 
and  the  total  receipts  during  the  first  twenty-five  years 
were  $6,166.43,  of  which  $2,138.61  have  been  given  to 
missions. 

In  1890  a  Home  Department  was  organized  through 
the  efforts  of  Mr.  M.  L.  Barnes  and  Miss  Clarissa 
Smith  and  it  was  recognized  afterward  as  belonging  to 
the  school,  and  M.  L.  Barnes  was  appointed  superintend- 
ent in  1892,  retaining  the  position  until  his  death.  Mr. 
W.  O.  Birdsall  was  elected  to  the  position  in  1896,  and 
in  1897  Mrs.  Mary  Buell  was  chosen  and  was  retained 
in  the  office  until  succeeded  by  Mrs.  Alia  McPherson, 
who,  after  serving  faithfully  for  five  years,  was,  in  Jan- 
uary, 1914,  succeeded  by  Miss  Annie  Williams. 

The  class  contains  at  present  about  70  members. 
There  are  no  statistics  at  hand  giving  the  number  who 
have  united  with  the  church  from  the  school,  but  it  is  a 
large  one,  for  it  has  ever  been  a  "nursery  of  piety." 

A  teachers'  meeting  has  been  regularly  held  most  of 
the  time  since  the  organization  of  the  school. 

This  school  has  always  been  remarkable  for  the  large 
number  of  adults  belonging  to  it.  The  attraction  of  the 
school  has  very  largely  held  the  young  people  at  that  age 
when  they  are  so  likely  to  drop  out. 


200  Appendix 

Mr.  J.  W.  Manier  held  the  office  of  secretary  the  first 
year  after  the  organization  of  the  school. 

Jan.  1st,  1874,  ■^^*  Greo.  B.  Edwards  was  elected  and 
acted  in  this  capacity  for  three  years. 

Jan.  1st,  1877,  Mr.  Geo.  Williams,  Jr.,  was  chosen. 

Jan.  1st,  1878,  Mr.  Corliss  McKinney  was  elected  sec- 
retary, but  on  account  of  removal  from  the  city  Mr.  Geo. 
B.  Edwards  was  selected  to  fill  his  unexpired  term. 

Jan.  1st,  1879,  Mr.  Wm.  E.  Barnes  was  elected  sec- 
retary, and  after  one  year's  service  was  succeeded  on 
Jan.  1st,  1880,  by  Mr.  Wm.  H.  Finney,  who  served  the 
school  during  that  year. 

Jan.  1st,  1881,  Mr.  Geo.  B.  Edwards  was  again  elected, 
but  resigned  May  29th,  1881,  and  Mr.  B.  A.  Baumann 
served  until  Jan.  1st,  1882,  when  he  was  chosen  secretary 
and  served  with  great  fidelity  during  the  nine  succeeding 
years,  when  he  was  asked  to  go  up  higher  and  occupy  the 
office  of  assistant  superintendent. 

Jan.  1st,  1891,  Wm.  E.  Gurney  was  elected  and  served 
until  May  13,  1894,  when  Mr.  W.  H.  Bundy  was  chosen 
as  his  successor  and  held  the  position  until  April  7th, 
1895,  when  Mr.  W.  J.  Hadsall  was  elected  and  served 
until  April  5th,  1896.  At  this  time  Mr.  N.  E.  Luce  was 
elected  and  acted  as  secretary  until  July  4th,  1897. 

July  4th,  1897,  Mr.  Robert  Van  Inwegen  was  chosen. 

Jan.  4th,  1898,  Mr.  Arthur  C.  Mix  was  elected  to  the 
office. 

During  the  reconstruction  of  the  church  in  1885-6  the 
Sunday  school  held  its  sessions  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  rooms 
on  Court  Street  from  September  26th,  1885,  until  March 


Appendix  201 

28th,  1886,  when  we  reconvened  in  the  enlarged  and 
beautified  church. 

From  the  treasurer's  reports  the  following  statistics 
are  gleaned ; 

The  collections  in  the  school  the  first  year  aggregated 
$83.74;  expenses  $26.50. 

The  collections  increased  with  the  growth  of  the  school 
and  the  total  receipts  during  the  first  twenty-five  years 
were  $6,166.43,  of  which  $2,138.61  have  been  given  to 
missions. 

In  1890  a  Home  Department  was  organized  through 
the  efforts  of  Mr.  M.  L.  Barnes  and  Miss  Clarissa 
Smith  and  it  was  recognized  afterward  as  belonging  to 
the  school,  and  M.  L.  Barnes  was  appointed  superintend- 
ent in  1892,  retaining  the  position  until  his  death.  Mr. 
W.  O.  Birdsall  was  elected  to  the  position  in  1896,  and 
in  1897  Mrs.  Mary  Buell  was  chosen  and  was  retained 
in  the  office  until  succeeded  by  Mrs.  Alia  McPherson, 
who,  after  serving  faithfully  for  five  years,  was,  in  Jan- 
uary, 1914,  succeeded  by  Miss  Annie  Williams. 

The  class  contains  at  present  about  70  members. 
There  are  no  statistics  at  hand  giving  the  number  who 
have  united  with  the  church  from  the  school,  but  it  is  a 
large  one,  for  it  has  ever  been  a  "nursery  of  piety." 

A  teachers'  meeting  has  been  regularly  held  most  of 
the  time  since  the  organization  of  the  school. 

This  school  has  always  been  remarkable  for  the  large 
number  of  adults  belonging  to  it.  The  attraction  of  the 
school  has  very  largely  held  the  young  people  at  that  age 
when  they  are  so  likely  to  drop  out. 


202  Appendix 

The  greatest  harmony  has  always  prevailed  in  all  the 
departments  of  the  school.  Jealousies  among  the  teach- 
ers, criticism  of  methods  in  the  conduct  of  the  school  have 
been  almost  an  unknown  quantity  in  the  West  Presby- 
terian Sunday  School. 

The  business,  intellectual  and  spiritual  status  of  the 
officers  and  teachers  has  been  of  a  high  order.  With 
hardly  an  exception  they  have  been  men  and  women  who 
stand  well  in  the  community  for  uprightness,  good  citi- 
zenship and  morality. 

The  influence  of  the  pastor  has  been  a  great  in- 
spiration and  help  during  all  the  years  of  the  existence 
of  the  school.  He  has  been  regularly  present  at  the  ses- 
sions, personally  interested  in  every  department  and  class, 
and  a  valued  adviser  in  every  scheme  for  the  betterment 
of  the  school. 

Our  success  has  not  been  attained  by  a  resort  to  sen- 
sational or  adventitious  methods.  The  school  has  pros- 
pered, the  young  people  have  remained  in  it  through  their 
teens  because  something  has  been  given  them  here  which 
made  it  worth  their  while  to  attend.  The  teachers  gen- 
erally have  accepted  and  taught  the  Bible  as  the  Word 
of  God ;  they  have  believed  and  taught  that  "all  Scrip- 
ture is  given  by  inspiration  of  God,  and  is  profitable  for 
doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction,  for  instruction  in 
righteousness."  The  school  through  all  the  years  of  its 
existence  has  breathed  a  Bible  atmosphere.  The  ortho- 
doxy, the  moral  fiber,  the  spiritual  attainments  of  those 
who  have  been  here  trained  is  sufficient  evidence  of  the 
value  of  this  training  and  of  such  an  environment.  With 
the  enlarged  facilities  which  we  now  possess  it  is  expected 


Appendix  203 

and  believed  there  will  be  no  change  made  in  the  methods 
which  have  brought  us  in  the  past  such  satisfactory  re- 
sults. 

The  school  enjoyed  and  greatly  profited  by  the  service 
of  Mr.  H.  J.  Gaylord  until  the  beginning  of  the  year 
1900,  when  feeling  that  his  strength  would  no  longer 
permit  him  to  occupy  the  position  of  superintendent,  Mr. 
C.  E.  Terrill  was  chosen  as  leader,  while  Mr.  Gaylord 
continued  to  hold  the  title  of  honorary  superintendent, 
a  relationship  which  lasted  through  a  number  of  suc- 
ceeding years.  At  the  time  that  Mr.  Terrill  was  elected 
superintendent,  Mr.  L.  A.  Osgood  was  chosen  assistant. 
The  positions  of  secretary  and  treasurer  at  that  time  were 
held  respectively  by  Mr.  Orville  Bayless  and  Mr.  A.  O. 
Mix.  In  January,  1902,  Mr.  Bayless  was  succeeded  by 
Mr.  I.  B.  Parce,  who  served  efficiently  until  elected  as- 
sistant superintendent  January  1st,  1909. 

Under  the  leadership  of  Mr.  Terrill  the  school  has 
greatly  prospered.  He  held  the  office  until  his  removal 
to  Cleveland  in  1905. 

On  the  following  Sunday  the  vacancy  was  filled  by 
the  promotion  of  Mr.  L.  A.  Osgood,  Mr.  T.  C.  Thorpe 
being  elected  assistant.  Mr.  Thorpe  occupied  this  posi- 
tion until  he  was  compelled  by  reason  of  a  change  of 
business  relation  to  sever  his  connection  with  the  church. 

The  beginning  of  the  year  1905  witnessed  the  inaug- 
uration of  a  new  movement  in  the  history  of  the  school, 
and  one  which  has  gone  on  since  with  constantly  increas- 
ing power,  namely,  the  organization  of  the  class  of  men 
known  as  the  Westminster  Class.  This  organization 
was  effected  by  the  consolidation  of  two  classes,  at  the 


204  Appendix 

head  of  which  Dr.  H.  D.  Whitmarsh  and  Mr.  Frank 
Snyder  had  stood  for  a  number  of  years.  The  pastor, 
Rev.  E.  F.  Hallenbeck,  was  chosen  teacher.  The  class 
was  also  organized  under  the  Adult  Bible  Class  move- 
ment, with  a  full  quota  of  officers.  Just  one  hundred 
names  appeared  on  the  roll  of  this  class  for  the  year  of 
its  organization.  The  growth  of  the  Westminster  Class 
has  been  steady  and  in  great  measure  permanent,  so  that 
at  the  opening  of  the  year  19 10  it  reported  one  hundred 
and  forty-five  members. 

Two  other  classes  have  been  organized,  also,  under  the 
Adult  Bible  Class  movement,  those  of  Dr.  Hand  and 
Mrs.  Reed.  Particular  reference  ought  to  be  made  to 
the  first  named  class,  which  for  so  many  years  was 
blessed  by  the  leadership  of  Dr.  George  F.  Hand.  The 
numerical  strength  of  this  class  is  shown  by  the  fact  that 
for  the  year  1906  ninety-six  names  were  entered  on  the 
rolls.  But  no  figures  nor  words  can  attest  the  influence 
of  the  teaching  of  this  man  of  God  upon  the  spiritual 
lives  of  those  who  sat  under  his  ministration,  as  well  as 
upon  all  members  of  the  school.  All  too  soon  the  heart- 
to-heart  relationship  between  teacher  and  pupil  was 
broken,  for  Dr.  Hand  was  called  in  September,  1906,  to 
a  place  Up  Higher.  His  work  still  goes  on,  however, 
and  will  never  cease  to  have  its  effect  upon  the  lives  of 
us  all.  Upon  his  decease,  Prof.  V.  S.  Paessler  was 
chosen  teacher,  and  the  name  of  the  class  was  changed 
to  that  of  the  "Hand  Memorial  Class,"  and  this  is  still 
its  title,  and  its  leader  is  yet  the  same.  Professor 
Paessler  having  had  long  experience  as  a  teacher  in  the 
Barlow  Industrial  School,  of  which  he  was  principal  at 


Appendix  205 

the  time  of  his  elevation  to  the  place  of  honor  in  the 
Hand  Memorial  Class,  as  well  as  having  been  a  teacher 
in  the  West  Church  Sunday  School  for  a  long  time,  is 
well  qualified  to  be  the  successor  of  the  founder  of  the 
class ;  and  under  his  faithful  and  enthusiastic  leadership 
there  has  been  a  sustained  interest  and  good  spiritual 
growth  among  its  members. 

Nor  would  it  be  fitting  that  the  class  of  ladies  of 
which  Miss  Susan  Osgood  is  teacher  should  be  passed 
without  special  mention.  Like  Professor  Paessler,  Miss 
Osgood  has  long  occupied  a  position  in  the  High  School 
of  our  city,  being  one  of  its  most  earnest  teachers.  From 
a  small  beginning  the  class,  always  known  as  "Miss 
Osgood's  Class,"  has  grown  until  it  has  become  a  power 
in  the  life  of  the  church  and  Sunday  School.  At  the 
time  of  this  writing  nearly  one  hundred  names  were  on 
its  roll.  Both  the  class  and  its  teacher  have  always  been 
highly  interested  in  everything  that  pertains  to  the  up- 
building of  God's  kingdom  in  the  world. 

At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  office  for  the  year 
1908,  Mr.  Osgood  felt  that  he  must  retire  from  the  posi- 
tion of  superintendent.  He  could  not  be  prevailed  upon 
to  accept  a  reelection,  and  Mr.  E.  L.  Vincent,  who  had 
been  elected  to  be  his  assistant  soon  after  the  resignation 
of  Mr.  Thorpe,  was  advanced  to  the  first  place  at  the 
head  of  the  school. 

Some  changes  have  been  made  from  time  to  time  in 
the  personnel  of  the  minor  officers,  none  however  save 
such  as  have  tended  to  maintain  the  same  high  stand- 
ard of  efficiency  which  has  always  characterized  the 
school. 


206  Appendix 

At  the  opening  of  the  year  1910  the  list  of  officers 
included  Superintendent  E.  L.  Vincent.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Benjamin  A.  Baumann,  who  held  the  office 
until  his  death  in  April,  1913.  The  vacancy  was  filled 
for  a  brief  period  by  Assistant  Superintendent  B.  R. 
Brigham,  when  Theodore  C.  Thorpe  was  elected  super- 
intendent. Assistant  Superintendent  Irwin  B.  Farce 
was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Brigham,  Charles  W.  Bryers, 
secretary,  and  Ralph  M.  Vincent  his  assistant.  Treas- 
urer Harry  B.  Lacey  was  succeeded  by  Alfred  Wayne, 
with  John  Booth  as  assistant.  Mrs.  A.  C.  McPherson, 
Superintendent  of  the  Home  Department,  was  succeeded 
January  1,  1914,  by  Miss  Annie  Williams.  Lady  Su- 
perintendent Mrs.  G.  M.  Colville  was  succeeded  by  Miss 
Mary  Colville,  and  in  January,  1914,  by  Miss  Annie 
Williams.  Mrs.  J.  M.  Seabury,  Superintendent  of  the 
Cradle  Roll,  was  succeeded  in  turn  by  Miss  Ruth  Col- 
ville and  Mrs.  H.  E.  Holt. 

The  last  report  (April,  1914)  showed  the  total  mem- 
bership of  the  school  to  be  595,  or  including  the  Home 
Department,  665.     Average  attendance,  285. 

From  the  year  1874,  when  Miss  Harriet  LaGrangc, 
the  first  primary  superintendent  of  the  school,  entered 
upon  her  mission  work  in  Tripoli,  Syria,  the  school  has 
made  a  regular  annual  contribution  of  about  $50  towards 
her  support,  besides  large  offerings  to  other  missionary 
causes.  Miss  LaGrange  has  now  labored  in  that  field 
with  marked  success  for  forty  years  as  the  head  of  a 
fine  institution  for  the  education  and  training  of  Syrian 
girls,  and  ranks  among  the  highly  valued  missionaries 
of  our  Fresbyterian  Board.     She  was  one  of  the  original 


Appendix  207 

members  of  the  West  Church,  and  still  retains  her  mem- 
bership. 

The  whole  sum  raised  by  the  school  for  all  purposes 
to  date  (1914)  aggregates  about  $15,000. 

THE  LADIES'  INDUSTRIAL  SOCIETY 

This  oldest  of  all  our  Church  Societies  antedates  the 
organization  of  the  church  itself. 

For  the  facts  here  presented  we  are  mainly  indebted 
to  the  late  Mrs.  Morgan  L.  Barnes. 

On  June  5,  1872,  a  little  company  of  Christian  women 
held  a  meeting  with  Mrs.  M.  L.  Barnes,  No.  96  Oak 
Street,  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  society  to  be  known 
as  the  "West  Church  Mite  Society."  The  new  church 
(or  chapel)  was  then  in  process  of  erection;  and  the 
purpose  of  this  society  was  twofold,  first,  to  increase 
interest  in  the  enterprise,  then  to  raise  funds  to  materi- 
ally assist  in  carrying  on  the  work  of  the  church.  The 
first  officers  chosen  were:  Mrs.  M.  L.  Barnes,  Presi- 
dent; Miss  Mary  Osgood,  Vice-President;  Mrs.  Stephen 
Morey,  Secretary;  Miss  Alice  Carver,  Treasurer. 

The  society  met  once  in  two  weeks,  and  all  members 
had  a  mind  to  work,  and  were  united  in  whatever  was 
undertaken. 

Social  gatherings,  fairs  and  festivals  were  interspersed 
with  regular  work,  and  some  soliciting  was  done.  In 
about  eight  months  previous  to  February  25,  1873,  ^^ 
sum  of  $664.11  had  been  raised.  Of  this  amount 
$194.40  was  generously  contributed  by  ladies  of  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church.  This  money  was  devoted  to- 
wards the  furnishing  of  the  chapel.     For  carpets,  mats, 


208  Appendix 

etc.,  $466.61;  chairs  and  table,  $64.50;  desk,  $40.00; 
communion  service,  $35.00 ;  communion  table,  $30.00 ; 
Bible  and  hymn  book,  $20.00,  and  desk  covering,  $8.00. 
At  this  time  it  was  thought  best  that  the  Mite  Society- 
should  be  disbanded,  and  a  new  society  organized  under 
the  name  of  "The  Ladies'  Industrial  Society."  This 
change  was  effected  February  25,  1873.  The  pastor's 
wife  (Mrs.  Samuel  Dunham)  was  chosen  President, 
which  office  she  nobly  filled  for  twenty  years,  nearly 
every  time  in  the  chair.  The  other  officers  were :  Mrs. 
G.  W.  Burbank,  Vice-President ;  Miss  Mary  Osgood, 
Secretary  and  Treasurer;  Mrs.  J.  M.  Stone,  Mrs.  E.  F. 
Matthews,  Miss  Clarissa  Smith,  Mrs.  Mariette  Cady, 
and  Mrs.  M.  L.  Barnes,  Directresses.  The  object  of 
this  society,  as  of  the  former  one,  was  to  promote  the 
growth  and  influence  of  the  church.  At  the  regular 
meetings,  held  once  in  two  weeks,  the  ladies  engaged  in 
plain  or  fancy  needle-work,  or,  when  occasion  required, 
in  sewing  for  the  poor.  Social  gatherings  were  also 
held,  alternating  each  week  with  the  regular  meetings. 
The  society  decided  to  use  a  sufficient  amount  of  its 
funds  to  defray  the  expense  of  the  church  music,  and 
for  the  rent  of  the  parsonage.  The  receipts  of  the  soci- 
ety for  the  year  ending  February  25,  1874,  were  $837.33  ; 
of  which  $483.75  were  expended  as  above  indicated, 
leaving  a  balance  of  $353.58  in  the  treasury.  The  sec- 
ond year  $789.97  was  similarly  expended,  and  also  to 
meet  a  deficiency  in  current  expenses.  The  third  year 
$684.40  was  thus  appropriated,  and  $135.00  put  into  the 
church  treasury.  From  this  time  (1876)  to  1891,  the 
proceeds  have  been  paid  over  to  the  church. 


Appendio)  209 

During  the  seven  years  previous  to  1883,  the  receipts 
of  the  society  were  $1,341.71;  and  from  1883  to  1891, 
$1,255.38.  In  January,  1891,  the  society  decided  to 
make  special  effort  to  raise  money  to  apply  on  the  church 
debt.  As  a  result,  the  sum  of  $503.90  was  raised,  of 
which  $90.00  was  applied  to  that  purpose,  and  $404.25 
was  deposited  in  the  bank.  In  addition  to  all  this,  the 
society  furnished  a  room  in  the  newly-opened  and  dedi- 
cated Home  for  Aged  Women. 

The  whole  amount  of  money  raised  by  the  society  dur- 
ing its  first  twenty-five  years  was  $6,755.00. 

Since  1898  the  records  of  money  raised  and  expended 
are  very  incomplete.  It  is  known,  however,  that  con- 
siderable sums  have  been  raised  and  wisely  appropriated 
for  the  good  of  the  church. 

The  following  officers  have  served  the  society  since 
the  year  1900: 

PRESIDENTS 

Mrs.  J.  E.  Bookstaver,  Mrs.  Fred  Barnum, 

Mrs.  L.  M.  Blanchard,  Mrs.  Elmer  W.  Beers, 

Mrs.  M.  E.  Baker,  Mrs.  Alia  McPherson. 
Mrs.  Anna  Gardiner, 

SECRETARIES 

Miss  Mae  Barnum,  Mrs.  H.  H.  Young, 

Mrs.  Timothy  Kellam,  Mrs.  Amelia  Cohn, 

Mrs.  Minnie  Barnum,  Mrs.  A.  E.  Benedict. 

Mrs.  M.  E.  Baker, 

TREASURERS 

Mrs.  V.  S.  Paessler,  Mrs.  Fred  Salisbury, 

Mrs.  Baker,  Mrs.  Jay  West. 

Mrs.  Charles  Johnson, 


210  Appendioo 

WOMAN'S  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY 

For  the  first  ten  years  of  the  life  of  the  West  Church, 
from  1873  ^^  1883,  there  was  a  Union  Missionary  Or- 
ganization composed  of  members  of  the  three  Presby- 
terian churches  then  existing  in  the  city, — the  First, 
North  and  West  Churches.  Meetings  were  held  in  the 
different  churches,  and  for  several  of  those  years  Mrs. 
Samuel  Dunham  was  president. 

On  Saturday,  February  24,  1883,  was  organized  the 
Woman's  Missionary  Society  of  the  West  Presbyterian 
Church. 

The  first  officers  of  the  society  were :  Miss  Clarissa 
Smith,  President;  Mrs.  S.  M.  Dunham,  Vice-President: 
Mrs.  David  Murray,  Secretary:  Mrs.  J.  W.  Manier, 
Treasurer. 

The  purpose  of  the  Society  is  to  increase  the  knowl- 
edge and  thereby  the  interest  of  the  members  in  the  work 
of  missions,  and  to  help  in  fulfilling  Christ's  last  great 
commission,  "Go  teach  all  nations." 

With  this  latter  object  in  view  the  society  assists  in 
supporting  Miss  Harriet  LaGrange  in  Tripoli,  Syria, 
and  pays  for  a  scholarship  in  the  Home  Industrial  School 
at  Asheville,  North  Carolina,  so  that  annually  a  girl 
from  among  the  Mountain  Whites  may  receive  careful 
training  in  Christian  home-making.  Contributions  are 
also  made  to  the  Home  and  Foreign  Boards  in  aid  of 
the  general  work  of  missions. 

In  1908  the  society  observed  its  twenty-fifth  anniver- 
sary, and  it  was  found  that  up  to  that  time  the  contri- 
butions amounted  to  $1,771.35  for  home  missions,  and 
$1,765.75  for  foreign  missions,  a  total  of  $3,537.10. 


Appendix  211 

Including  the  gifts  of  the  last  six  years   ($1,259.72) 
to  1914,  the  total  offerings  aggregate  $5,182.82. 

The  society  has  been  served  by  the  following  officers : 

PRESIDENTS 

Miss   Clarissa   Smith 1883-1887 

Mrs.  Sarah  M.  Dunham 1887-1894 

Miss   Jane   Howard 1894-1901 

Mrs.  E.  M.  Baldwin 1901-1902 

Mrs.  E.    B.    Smith 1902-1905 

Mrs.  Robertha  McL.  Dunham 1905-1907 

Mrs.  E.  L.  Vincent September,   1907-1908 

Mrs.  H.   D.   Whitmarsh 1908-1910 

Mrs.  George  F.  Hand 1910-1912 

Mrs.  H.   D.   Whitmarsh 1912-1914 

Mrs.  Franklin    Putnam 19^4 

VICE-PRESIDENTS 

Mrs.  Samuel  Dunham,  Mrs.  Robertha  McL.  Dun- 
Mrs.  J.  I.  Haring,  ham, 

Mrs.  C.  A.  Johnston,  Mrs.  George  M.  Colville, 

Mrs.  E.  M.  Baldwin,  Mrs.  E.  L.  Vincent, 

Miss  Clarissa  Smith,  Mrs.  H.  D.  Whitmarsh, 

Mrs.  B.  J.  Bayless,  Mrs.  Amelia  Cohn, 

Mrs.  George  F.  Hand,  Mrs.  Fred  Barnum. 
Mrs.  E.  F.  Hallenbeck, 

SECRETARIES 

Mrs.  David  Murray,  Miss  Sarah  Henning, 

Miss  Mary  Dayton,  Mrs.  H.  D.  Whitmarsh, 
Mrs.  Lydia   Dayton   Wal-      Miss  Annie  Williams, 

ling,  Mrs.  Minna  C.  Clark, 

Mrs.  J.  M.  Seabury,  Mrs.  Frank  B.  Lull, 

Mrs.  F.  A.  Thompson,  Mrs.  D.  J.  Kelly. 
Mrs.  J.  W.  Manier, 


212  Appendix 

TREASURERS 

Mrs.  J.  W.  Manier,  Mrs.  Frederick  Barnum, 

Miss    Esther    Barton    (17  Mrs.  Frank  Snyder, 

years),  Mrs.  Wm.  E.  Gurney. 
Miss  Florence  Musson, 

THE  WOMAN'S  UNION 

This  Union,  organized  October  11,  1904,  is  a  federa- 
tion of  the  women's  societies  of  the  church  for  the 
purpose  of  uniting  their  interests,  directing  their  activi- 
ties, and  stimulating  their  zeal. 

Every  woman  in  the  congregation  is  considered  a  mem- 
ber of  the  union  and  is  heartily  invited  to  cooperate  in 
its  work. 

Each  meeting  is  divided  into  a  business  session  and  a 
social  hour  for  all  the  women  of  the  church. 

The  union  is  supported  by  the  voluntary  gifts  of  its 
members,  and  comprises  the  Social  Department,  the  Vis- 
iting Department,  the  Missionary  Society,  the  Ladies' 
Industrial  Society,  and  the  King's  Daughters. 

The  first  officers  of  the  union  were  as  follows : — Presi- 
dent, Mrs.  E.  F.  Hallenbeck ;  Vice-Presidents,  Mrs.  L. 
M.  Bowers,  Mrs.  Samuel  Dunham ;  Secretary,  Mrs.  Chas. 
A.  Ball ;  Treasurer,  Miss  Marie  Rinck. 

In  1908  Mrs.  G.  M.  Colville  was  chosen  to  succeed 
Mrs.  Hallenbeck  as  president,  which  office  she  held  until 
her  removal  by  death  October  20,  1910.  She  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Mrs.  Geo.  F.  Hand.  The  next  President  was 
Mrs.  V.  S.  Paessler,  who  in  turn  was  followed  by  Mrs. 
E.  L.  Vincent. 

Since   1905  the  office  of  vice-president  has  been  held 


Appendix  213 

by  Mrs.  Hand,  Mrs.  Paessler,  Mrs.  William  Liddell 
and  Mrs.  E.  B.  Smith;  the  secretaries  have  been  Mrs. 
W.  E.  Gurney,  Miss  Jennie  Pearsall  and  Mrs.  Amelia 
Cohn,  and  the  treasurers,  Mrs.  F.  S.  Converse,  Mrs.  W. 
E.  Gurney  and  Mrs.  B.  S.  Swayze. 

The  union  holds  two  meetings  each  year,  at  which 
reports  are  presented  by  the  several  women's  organiza- 
tions of  the  church. 

THE  KING'S  DAUGHTERS 

The  King's  Daughters'  Circle  of  the  West  Presby- 
terian Church  was  organized  March  8,  1888. 

It  grew  out  of  and  was  the  immediate  successor  to  the 
"Inasmuch  Society."  Its  object  was  to  help  needy  and 
deserving  people,  both  in  and  outside  of  the  church. 

Its  first  officers  were : — Miss  Lillie  A.  Thompson, 
President;  Miss  Lottie  Haring,  Vice-President;  Miss 
Julia  E.  Hand,  Secretary;  Miss  Susie  Baty,  Treasurer. 

After  a  time  the  society  disbanded. 

On  May  16,  1895,  the  society  reorganized,  its  aim 
being  "to  do  all  the  good  possible  in  every  way,  at  all 
times — to  keep  in  remembrance  that  anything,  however 
small  or  simple,  that  helps  another  human  being  to  be 
better  or  happier  is  proper  work  for  the  King's  Daugh- 
ters." 

The  watchword  of  the  international  order — "In  His 
Name" — was  adopted. 

During  the  years  1895,  1896  and  1897  the  following 
were  leaders  of  the  circle : — 

Miss  Lillie  Thompson,  Miss  Emma  Bush,  Mrs.  George 
Adams. 


214  Appendico 

The  work  of  these  years  was  principally  the  making 
and  giving  away  of  garments.  Comfort  bags  were  also 
made,  and  filled  with  small  Testaments,  needles,  thread, 
etc.     These  were  sent  to  the  lumber  camps  of  Michigan. 

The  sum  of  ten  dollars  was  also  raised  and  sent  to  the 
Armenians. 

In  the  year  1897,  $25.00  was  given  to  home  support. 
In  the  year  1898,  $25.00  was  given  toward  the  church 
building  fund. 

In  March,  1898,  the  local  constitution  of  the  interna- 
tional order  was  adopted. 

The  object  of  the  circle  is  "to  develop  spiritual  life 
and  stimulate  Christian  activity."  The  Council  of  the 
Order  admonishes  the  circles  to  consider  first  the  home, 
second  the  Church,  third  mankind  for  whom  Christ  died. 

Our  King's  Daughters'  society  has  for  its  motto — "Do 
all  the  good  you  can,  in  all  the  ways  you  can,  to  all  the 
people  you  can." 

This  is  what  we  have,  in  the  years  past,  been  endeav- 
oring to  do. 

Through  our  Sunshine  Committee  we  have  furnished 
food,  clothing  and  coal  for  needy  families  and  have  sent 
sunshine  boxes  and  flowers  to  brighten  the  rooms  of  the 
sick  and  shut-ins. 

Our  Hospital  Committee  visits  the  hospital  from  time 
to  time,  leaving  some  remembrance  with  each  one  to 
cheer  them  up  and  turn  their  thoughts  to  Him  who  doeth 
all  things  well. 

We  have  also  sent  numbers  of  magazines  and  religious 
papers  to  sailors'  homes  and  light-houses. 

Each  year  we  pay  fifty  dollars  toward  the  salary  of 


Appendix  215 

our  city  nurse  and  furnish  her  with  supplies  whenever 
she  needs  them. 

Following  is  an  account  of  the  money  spent  from  No- 
vember 1,  1899,  to  January  l,  1910. 

To  building  fund $  104.02 

Two  pianos 294.48 

Sunshine  work 482.08 

City   nurse 302.45 

State  and  city  dues 103.05 

Missionary  box 20.00 

Music  fund  of  church 25.00 

Fresh  air   fund 10.00 

Incidentals    70.69 

New  carpet  for  church 300.00 

Total    $1,71 1.77 

From  January  1,  1910,  to  August  1,  1914,  the  Look- 
out Circle  raised  the  handsome  sum  of  $2,030.82.  This 
money  has  been  expended  towards  the  payment  of  the 
church  debt,  in  the  purchase  of  carpet,  remodeling  the 
kitchen,  in  sunshine  and  charitable  work,  in  the  support 
of  the  city  nurse,  and  for  missions. 

The  total  amount  of  funds  raised  by  this  circle  in  the 
last  fifteen  years  aggregates  $3,742.59. 

Officers  of  the  Lookout  Circle  of  the  King's  Daughters 
since  1898: — 

LEADERS 

Mrs.  W.   E.  Barnes 1898  to  1900 

Miss  Elizabeth  Thompson 1900  to   1907 

Miss  Nellie   J.   Rood 1907  to  1910 


216  Appendix 

Mrs.  Minna    Clark 1910  to   1913 

Mrs.  Edward  R.   Mould 1913 

VICE-LEADERS 

Miss  Elizabeth  Thompson,  Mrs.  C.  J.  Longstreet, 

Mrs.  John  D.  Starr,  Miss   Charlotte   F.   Beuck- 

Miss  Mae  Barnum,  mann, 

Mrs.  E.  F.  Hallenbeck,  Mrs.  Minna  Clark. 

SECRETARIES 

Miss  Margaret  Bloxham,        Miss  Anna  McDonald, 
Miss  Nellie  J.  Rood,  Mrs.  Charles  W.  Bryers, 

Miss  Elva  Coe,  Miss  Jessie  Marean. 

TREASURERS 

Mrs.  W.  H.  Bundy,  Mrs.  W.  A.  Johnson, 

Miss  Leah  Harder,  Miss  Lena  Beecher, 

Mrs.  Frank  Greenwood,  Miss     Elva  Coe. 

The  Susanna  Colville  Circle  was  organized  in  the 
Westminster  Class  Room  November  15,  1911,  in  loving 
memory  of  Mrs.  Colville.  It  is  composed  of  young 
ladies  from  seventeen  to  twenty-five  years  of  age. 

The  first  officers  were, — 

President,  Christianna  Nielson. 

Vice-President,  Ruth  Peck. 

Secretary,  Marion  Shores. 

Treasurer,  Mary  Colville. 

The  first  leaders  were  Miss  Charlotte  Beuckmann  and 
Miss  Mary  Colville. 

The  circle  has  proved  very  active  and  efficient,  is 
much  interested  in  mission  study,  and  has  contributed 
liberally  to  local  church  and  charitable  work  and  to 
missions. 


Appendix  217 

The  Loyal  Circle  of  King's  Daughters,  composed  of 
young  girls  from  twelve  to  seventeen  years  of  age,  was 
organized  by  Miss  Charlotte  Beuckmann  on  January  4, 
1912,  and  has  done  some  good  work;  but  has  recently 
discontinued  its  meetings. 

THE  YOUNG  PEOPLE'S  SOCIETY  OF  CHRIS- 
TIAN ENDEAVOR 

The  materials  for  this  sketch  were  furnished  mainly 
by  Benjamin  A.  Baumann  and  Miss  Jennie  Pearsall. 

In  September,  1880,  a  small  band  of  young  people 
formed  what  was  called  "The  Pastoral  Aid  Society," 
having  for  its  object  "Some  defined  methods  of  effectual 
aid  to  our  pastor,  and  for  their  mutual  improvement." 

In  the  Spring  of  1883,  with  the  purpose  of  enlisting 
a  larger  number  of  the  young  people,  "The  Young  Peo- 
ple's Association"  was  organized  to  take  the  place  of 
the  Pastoral  Aid  Society.  The  wisdom  of  this  change 
was  soon  demonstrated  for,  much  as  the  former  society 
had  accomplished,  this  was  doing  more.  For  several 
years  a  most  helpful  prayer  meeting  was  conducted  on 
Sunday  afternoons  at  6  o'clock,  which  was  most  heartily 
sustained,  having  the  prayer  room  crowded  to  its  utmost 
capacity,  and  the  spiritual  tone  of  which  was  most  excel- 
lent. 

Thus  the  work  progressed  until  in  May,  1887,  when 
an  interest  in  the  Christian  Endeavor  Society  was  awak- 
ened within  some  of  our  members,  aroused  by  some 
previous  remarks  of  our  pastor  in  reference  to  the  society. 

This  interest  soon  ripened  into  an  expressed  desire  that 
the  Young  People's  Association  might  be  merged  into  a 


218  Appendix 

Christian  Endeavor  Society,  which  was  done  by  vote  on 
Tuesday  evening,  June  28,  1887.  The  following  day 
we  received  a  telegram  from  Mr.  M.  A.  Hudson,  Secre- 
tary of  the  New  York  State  Christian  Endeavor  Union, 
congratulating  us  upon  being  the  pioneer  society  in 
Binghamton. 

It  was  soon  evident  that  the  society  had  not  lost  sight 
of  its  object,  "For  Christ  and  the  Church,"  for  in  Jan- 
uary, 1888,  following  the  week  of  prayer,  a  revival 
continuing  for  five  weeks,  conducted  by  the  pastor  and 
assisted  by  the  young  people  was  held,  which  the  Lord 
richly  blessed  in  the  conversion  of  some  sixty  persons, 
who  have  proven  to  be  faithful  witnesses  for  the  Master. 

Aside  from  the  pastor,  no  one  was  more  interested  in 
this  work  than  the  president  of  the  society,  Mr.  L.  M. 
Bowers  and  Mrs.  S.  M.  Dunham,  of  blessed  memory, 
and  to  their  personal  efforts  is  due  much  of  the  success 
of  these  meetings.  Similar  meetings  were  held  during 
the  two  following  Winters  of  1889  and  1890  with  excel- 
lent results. 

The  first  president  of  the  society  was  Mr.  L.  M. 
Bowers,  who  acted  in  this  capacity  from  June,  1887,  to 
October  1,  1889.  ^^^  successors  have  served  in  the  fol- 
lowing order: — 

Louis  A.  Osgood,  Oct.  1,  1889,  to  April  1,  1890. 
John  D.  Starr,  April  1,  1890,  to  Oct.  1,  1890. 
Frank  Snyder,  Oct.  1,  1890,  to  Oct.  1,  1891. 
Dr.  H.  D.  Whitmarsh,  Oct.  1,  1891,  to  Oct.  1,  1892. 

B.  A.  Baumann,  Oct.  1,  1892,  to  Oct.  1.  1893. 

C.  N.  Stannard,  Oct.  1,  1893,  ^^  April  1,  1894. 
N.  E,  Luce,  April  1,  1894,  to  Oct.  1,  1894. 


Appendix  219 

Miss  Susan  S.  Osgood,  Oct.  i,  1894,  to  April  1,  1895. 
C.  E.  Terrill,  April  1,  1895,  to  April  1,  1896. 
Geo.  A.  Pierce,  April  1,  1896,  to  Oct.  1,  1896. 
Mrs.  Wm.  E.  Barnes,  Oct.  1,  1896,  to  Oct.  1,  1897. 
B.  A.  Baumann,  Oct.  1,  1897,  to  April  1,  1901. 
Chas.  A.  Ball,  April  1,  1901,  to  Oct.  1,  1901. 
Harvey  H.  Wagner,  Oct.   1,  1901,  to  Oct.   1,  1902. 
Bertram  R.  Brigham,  Oct.  1,  1902,  to  Oct.  1,  1903. 
Theo.  C.  Thorpe,  Oct.  1,  1903,  to  Oct.  1,  1904. 
Miss  Lucia  Musson,  Oct.  1,  1904,  to  Oct.  1,  1905. 
Miss  Bessie  Baker,  Oct.  1,  1905,  to  Oct.  1,  1906. 
Theo.  C.  Thorpe,  Oct.  1,  1906,  to  Oct.  1,  1907. 
Miss  Mae  Baker,  Oct.  1,  1907,  to  April  1,  1909. 
B.  R.  Brigham,  from  April  1,  1909,  to  April  1,  1910. 
Ralph  Vincent,  from  April  1,  1910,  to  April  1,  191 1. 
Donald  Gilbert,  from  April  1,  1911,  to  Oct.  1,  1911. 
Sindergo  Neilson,  from  Oct.  1,  1911,  to  Oct.  1,  1912. 
Theodore  C.  Thorpe,  from  Oct.  1,  1912,  to  Oct.  1,  1913. 
Harold  Monroe,  from  Oct.  1,  1913.     (Still  in  office.) 

It  need  not  be  said  that  the  young  people's  organiza- 
tions have  had  an  important  part  in  the  history  of  this 
beloved  church.  But  we  would  not  glory  in  this  other 
than  to  praise  the  blessed  Lord  in  whose  strength  it  has 
been  possible  for  us  to  achieve  all  these  results. 

The  society  has  had  a  total  membership  during  the 
twenty-seven  years  of  probably  four  hundred  active 
members  and  one  hundred  honorary  members.  There 
have  been  thirty  deaths;  the  last  of  these  was  that  of 
Benjamin  A.  Baumann,  who  died  April  10,  1913.  Mr. 
Baumann  probably  did  a  larger  amount  of  Christian 
Endeavor  work  for  a  longer  period  of  time  than  any 


220  Appendix 

other  member,  and  the  quality  of  his  work  was  excellent. 
We  knew  the  power  of  the  Spirit  was  in  his  words  and 
deeds.  His  work  was  not  alone  in  our  society  but  as 
district  secretary  throughout  the  county  he  was  beloved 
for  his  earnestness,  faithfulness  and  devotion  in  the  work. 

During  the  years  some  $1,200  has  been  contributed  by 
the  society,  most  of  which  has  been  given  for  missionary 
work.  For  many  years  the  money  for  foreign  work  was 
given  toward  the  salary  of  Rev.  Wm.  J.  Leverett  in 
China,  but  at  present  is  for  station  work  at  Hainan, 
China,  and  towards  the  salary  of  Rev.  Edward  Mars- 
den,  a  native  worker  at  Saxman,  Alaska. 

A  gift  toward  the  fresh  air  work  has  been  made  each 
year  for  several  years ;  the  amount  this  year  being  an 
increase  over  several  previous  years. 

On  July  2,  1912,  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  the 
society  was  celebrated  in  the  church  parlors.  Many 
former  members  were  present  and  letters  were  read  from 
others  widely  scattered  over  our  United  States.  An  at- 
tendance of  eighty  listened  attentively  to  the  programme, 
while  smiles  of  pleasant  memories  were  evident.  A  social 
following  gave  further  opportunity  for  the  stirring  of 
memory  in  recalling  blessings  in  service  and  fellowship. 

A  banquet  attended  by  lio  persons  was  held  April  7, 
1914. 

The  past  year  has  been  one  of  encouragement.  Four- 
teen new  members  have  been  received  during  the  year. 
The  present  membership  is  44  active,  20  honorary,  and 
2  associate,  a  total  of  66. 

On  November  23,  1913,  a  young  men's  chorus  was 
formed  which  sang  in  our  meetings   for  several  weeks 


Appendix  221 

and  later  developed  into  our  church  choir.  The  second 
week  in  January,  at  the  home  of  the  Misses  Nielson,  an 
orchestra  was  formed,  which  was  soon  secured  to  play 
at  our  Sunday  School  sessions. 

For  the  last  few  years  there  has  been  a  great  desire 
that  more  young  men  become  members  and  lead  in  the 
work.  We  have  seen  marked  improvement  in  this  re- 
spect. 

Many  missionaries  have  visited  our  meetings  and  wc 
often  have  letters  from  missionaries.  Those  from  Mrs. 
Julia  Bronson,  of  Japan,  Mabel  Lee,  of  Nanking,  China, 
and  Harriet  LaGrange,  of  Tripoli,  Syria,  are  of  especial 
interest. 

One  of  our  members.  Miss  Mae  H.  Baker,  is  studying 
at  Dr.  White's  Bible  Teachers'  Training  School  at  541 
Lexington  Avenue,  New  York,  to  become  a  missionary. 
Another  member,  Charles  Gilbert,  is  studying  for  the 
ministry.  For  a  year  we  have  conducted  one  service  a 
month  at  The  Home  for  Aged  Women. 

We  believe  in  prayer  and  work,  and  that  the  Young 
People's  Society  is  helpful  to  the  prayer  life  of  the 
members. 

The  work  of  the  committees  gives  definite  things  for 
members  to  do  and  results  in  helpfulness  and  blessing 
to  others  as  well  as  to  the  workers  themselves. 

In  order  to  keep  alive  we  must  continually  be  receiving 
new  life.  Many  have  left  us.  Many  have  come  to  us. 
We  desire  a  larger  increase  in  our  membership,  and  also 
to  grow  more  abundantly  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit. 


222  Appendix 

THE  JUNIOR  CHRISTIAN  ENDEAVOR 
SOCIETY 

PREPARED    BY    MISS    CHARLOTTE    BEUCKMANN 

The  Junior  Christian  Endeavor  Society  was  organized 
Friday,  November  2,  1893,  ^^^^  i^  active  members. 
Mrs.  H.  S.  Dwight  was  appointed  superintendent  by 
the  pastor,  Mr.  Dunham,  with  Miss  Carrie  Barnum  and 
Miss  May  Eeles  as  assistants.  Grace  Cady  was  the  first 
Junior  President.  Mrs.  Dwight  had  charge  of  the  so- 
ciety for  four  consecutive  years  assisted  by  Miss  Emma 
L.  Buck,  Mrs.  R.  Wilson,  and  Mrs.  Robt.  C.  Smith  at 
intervals  during  that  period.  The  society  sent  flowers 
to  the  DeLancy  Street  Mission  in  New  York  free  of 
charge,  which  were  given  to  the  poor  children  of  New 
York.  Also  gave  $10  to  the  Asheville  farm  school;  also 
$1.00  to  State  work  for  1895,  1896  and  1897.  To 
Junior  Christian  Endeavor  Union,  50  cents. 

Mrs.  W.  E.  Barnes  was  appointed  superintendent  on 
October  1,  1897,  and  was  superintendent  for  six  months. 
April  1,  1898,  Miss  Mabel  Musson  was  appointed  su- 
perintendent with  Miss  Elizabeth  Woughter  and  Miss 
Charlotte  F.  Beuckmann  as  assistants.  During  these  six 
months  flowers  were  sent  to  the  Home  for  Aged 
Women,  comfort  powders — verses  of  Scripture  written 
on  paper  and  folded  like  a  powder — and  flowers  were 
sent  to  the  sick. 

October  1,  1898,  Miss  Charlotte  F.  Beuckmann  was 
appointed  superintendent  by  the  Christian  Endeavor 
Society  and  has  had  the  society  in  charge  ever  since. 
During  this  time.  Miss  Lina  Carver,  Miss  Ida  Gaffney, 


Appendix 


223 


Mrs.  N.  E.  Luce,  Miss  Mae  Baumann,  and  Mr.  Edward 
Hungerford  have  assisted  at  intervals. 

The  first  year  the  attendance  was  very  small,  but 
gradually  increased.  The  difficulties  were  many;  but 
by  the  kind  helpfulness  of  friends  and  the  thoughtful 
consideration  of  the  pastor,  Mr.  Dunham,  we  kept  at  it, 
seeking  help  and  wisdom  from  our  Heavenly  Father,  to 
whom  be  all  the  praise  and  glory  for  whatever  has  been 
done  by  the  Juniors. 

Meetmgs  are  held  on  Sunday  afternoon  from  4  to 
5.  We  try  to  vary  the  meetings  to  make  them  help- 
ful and  interesting.  Our  society  motto  is  Rom.  12:11, 
"Not  slothful  in  business,"  etc.  The  society  song  is 
"For  Christ  and  the  Church,"  words  written  by  Mr. 
John  R.  Clements.  Each  committee  has  a  Bible  verse 
as  its  motto,  also  each  one  of  the  ten  committees  has  a 
color  with  a  special  meaning.  The  society  color  is  light 
blue. 

The  average  membership  during  these  years  has  been 
about  40  with  an  attendance  of  20  to  35  on  the  average. 
Have  regular  missionary  meetings  as  outlined  for  us  by 
the  United  Christian  Endeavor  Society.  An  item  about 
missions  is  given  at  each  meeting.  Each  member  has 
a  missionary  for  a  given  time  and  receives  the  following 
outline  : 


Pray  each 
day  for 


her,  or  him, 
the  work, 
the  people, 
the  helpers. 


Find  out 
all  you 
can  about 


the  country, 
the  people, 
the  religion, 
the  needs. 


For  several  years  the  members  as  appointed  reported 


224  Appendix 

on  the  Sunday  morning  sermon  each  week.  Our  Band 
of  Mercy  and  temperance  committees  have  been  a  great 
help. 

Have  learned  many  helpful  Bible  verses,  psalms, 
facts  about  the  Bible,  etc. 

During  some  of  the  time  we  have  had  a  Junior  choir. 

Have  special  meetings  with  special  preparations, 
Thanksgiving,  Christmas,  and  Easter. 

Have  social  gatherings  during  the  year  and  always 
a  "Birthday  Social"  to  celebrate  the  society's  anniversary, 
Nov.  2. 

Aside  from  our  regular  society  meetings  we  have  tried 
to  help  the  needy,  the  sick,  and  the  shut-ins. 

Have  a  work  meeting  each  week  if  possible,  from  Oc- 
tober to  the  second  week  in  June. 

Sent  flowers  to  the  sick,  shut-ins.  City  Hospital,  and 
Old  Ladies'  Home. 

Give  to  State  Work,  and  the  City  Junior  C.  E.  Union. 

Give  each  year  to  missions  through  the  regular  church 
boards. 

Have  sent  four  boxes  to  missionaries. 

Gave  one  year  for  relief  of  famine  sufferers  in  Japan. 

A  great  many  packages  of  good  literature  have  been 
sent  to  the  City  Mission  and  County  Poor  Farm. 

Scrap-books,  games,  toys,  fans  covered  with  clippings, 
etc.,  sent  to  City  Hospital.  Valentines  and  post  cards 
at  different  times  to  the  Old  Ladies'  Home. 

In  1900  paid  for  having  the  West  church  room  pa- 
pered at  Old  Ladies'  Home. 

Pieced  two  quilts,  tied  them,  and  gave  them  to 
needy  ones.     Paid  house  rent  of  a  needy  family  for  one 


Appendio)  225 

week.  Paid  for  one-half  ton  coal  for  a  needy  family. 
Nearly  every  year  we  remember  needy  ones  with  gro- 
ceries which  the  boys  and  girls  bring  at  Thanksgiving 
time;  also  once  at  Christmas  time.  Several  times  we 
sent  something  at  Easter  time  to  the  Refuge. 

Have  always  tried  to  remember  the  sick,  shut-ins,  and 
oldest  members  of  our  church  with  various  articles  which 
we  make  at  our  work  meetings,  at  Easter,  Christmas,  and 
Thanksgiving,  and  between  times.  One  Christmas  we 
sent  150  post  cards  to  Susquehanna  Valley  Home. 

Paid  for  the  Junior  C.  E.  window  in  our  church. 
Paid  $15  towards  the  church  piano.  Gave  $5  as  an 
Easter  offering  to  our  church. 

Held  "sunshine  meetings"  after  regular  Junior  meet- 
ings at  homes  of  sick  or  shut-ins.  Once  sang  several 
songs  through  the  telephone  to  a  shut-in. 

In  1901  mounted  152  Perry  pictures  for  Easter,  and 
some  of  the  Juniors  and  the  superintendent  gave  one  to 
each  one  at  the  County  Poor  Farm,  personally.  Sent 
out  "sunshine  boxes"  to  sick. 

In  1903,  helped  to  pay,  with  Mrs.  A.  A.  White's  S.  S. 
class,  for  a  marker  for  the  grave  of  Willie  Buse,  one  of 
our  members  who  died  Dec.  21,  1902.  As  far  as  we 
can  ascertain  the  following  who  were  Juniors  have  died: 
Ethel  Blackmar,  Alberta  Van  Inwegen,  Bessie  Cook, 
Hattie  Lewis,  Fred  Goodsell,  Helen  Bartle,  Willie  Buse, 
and  Effa  Townsend. 

From  time  to  time  members  have  graduated  into  the 
Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.  The  largest  number  graduating  at  any 
one  time  was  18,  on  Feb.  8,  1903.  It  was  a  most  im- 
pressive meeting  and  one  remembered  by  all  who  were 


226  Appendix 

present.  Mr.  B.  A.  Baumann  was  chosen  by  the  grad- 
uating class  as  leader  of  the  meeting. 

For  the  first  years  when  the  present  superintendent 
took  charge  of  the  Juniors,  we  owe  an  especial  debt  of 
gratitude,  which  we  never  can  pay  to  our  then  pastor, 
Mr.  Dunham,  and  also  to  Mr.  B.  A.  Baumann. 

Many  boys  and  girls  while  members  of  the  Junior 
Society  united  with  the  church. 

March  15,  1904 — Girls  of  the  Junior  C.  E.  gave  a 
reception  for  girls  of  the  S.  S.  of  the  same  ages.  It 
was  a  great  success.  Several  times  received  over  a 
pound  of  tea,  by  each  one  bringing  one  or  more  thimbles 
of  tea,  and  sending  it  to  a  needy  family. 

Several  years  we  had  individual  flower  gardens  and 
many  sick  were  remembered  with  the  fragrant  blossoms. 

We  hold  a  union  meeting  with  the  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.  at 
least  once  a  year,  at  which  time  the  Junior  president  pre- 
sides. 

Gave  $5  toward  the  Dr.  F.  E.  Clark  Memorial  Build- 
ing. 

May  24,  1900,  at  the  County  C.  E.  convention,  our 
society  received  the  silk  banner  for  having  done  the  best 
work  in  every  respect  of  any  Junior  society  in  the  county. 

The  last  Sunday  in  December,  in  each  year,  the  Junior 
societies  of  the  city  hold  a  big  rally,  and  each  society 
takes  some  part.  On  these  occasions  our  society  is  always 
well  represented. 

Many  services  of  love  and  mercy,  too  many  to  even 
try  to  mention,  have  been  cheerfully  given  by  the  boys 
and  girls  these  past  years.  Many  of  the  former  mem- 
bers are  now  filling,  and  have  filled,  places  of  trust  and 


AppendioD  227 

honor  in  the  world,  the  church,  and  the  Sunday  school 
in  this  and  other  cities — girls  as  well  as  boys — of  which 
this  church  may  justly  be  proud.  A  number  have  grad- 
uated from  normal  schools,  and  colleges,  and  many  arc 
attending  colleges  at  present.  Mr.  Jerome  Peck,  one  of 
our  former  members,  has  served  as  president  of  the 
Broome  County  C.  E.  Union. 

We  trust  that  the  future  of  the  society  may  be  even 
better  than  the  past. 

OTHER  SOCIETIES  MENTIONED 

A  number  of  other  societies  of  various  kinds,  organ- 
ized at  different  periods  of  the  church's  history,  have 
served  a  useful  purpose  for  a  limited  time,  and  then  given 
place  to  other  organizations. 

Among  these  may  be  mentioned  the  "Pastor's  Aid  So- 
ciety," the  "Young  People's  Association,"  the  "Inasmuch 
Society,"  the  "Lend  a  Hand  Club,"  the  "King's  Sons," 
the  "Wide  Awake  Band,"  and  the  "Coral  Workers." 

ORIGINAL  MEMBERS  OF  THE  WEST  PRESBY- 
TERIAN CHURCH,  AT  ITS  FORMATION, 
FEBRUARY    12,    1873. 

Elizabeth   Aitchison,  Jennie  C.  French,  v 

Tobiah   Aitchison,  Mary  L.  French, 

Frances  A.  Avery,  Cynthia  M.  Gates, 

Erastus  B.  Barnes,  Lovina  M.  Howard, 

William  E.  Barnes,  Luther  Jenison, 

Morgan  L.  Barnes,  Maria  L.  Jenison, 

Sarah  M.  Barnes,  Mary  O.  Jenison, 

Edward  Barton,  Carrie  E.  Jenison, 


228 


Appendix 


Mary  Barton, 
Esther  O.  Barton, 
George  W.  Burbank, 
Lucy  A.  Burbank, 
Robert  W.  Byers, 
Angeline  Carver, 
Alvin  P.  Chapin, 
Madge  M.  Chapin, 
James  H.  Christopher, 
Frances  A.  Christopher, 
Sarah  E.  Cushing, 
Charles  M.  Dickinson, 
Bessie  V.  H.  Dickinson, 
Laura  Dedrick, 
Ephraim    F.    Dunham, 
Sarah  M.  Dunham, 
Elisha  W.  Evans, 
Henry  F.  Evans, 
William   Fairchild, 
Alvina  Fairchild, 
Isaac  A.  Finney, 
Margaret  Finney, 
Richard   Finney, 
Sarah  A.  Finney, 
Rhoda  E.  French, 


Fannie  L.  Jenison, 
Harriet  La  Grange, 
James  W.  Manier, 
Emma  C.  Manier, 
Ephraim  F.  Matthews, 
Elizabeth  A.  Matthews, 
Nettie  A.  Morey, 
Horatio  B.  Osgood, 
Lydia  A.  Osgood, 
Mary  S.  Osgood, 
Lizzie  S.  Osgood, 
Anna  R.  Osgood, 
William  V.   Pierce, 
Emma  Smith, 
Clarissa  Smith, 
Uriah  Stone, 
Mary  Stone, 
Phebe  J.  Stone, 
Abraham  Tyler, 
Susan  Tyler, 
Amanda  Tyler, 
Chester  G.  Whitford, 
Diadama   H.   Whitford, 
Florence  M.  Wright. 


ELDERS  OF  WEST  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 

Isaac  A.  Finney 1873  ^^  1^79 

Morgan  L.  Barnes 1873  to  1883 

and  1884  to  1895 

Geo.  W.  Burbank 1873  to  1900 


Appendix  229 

Geo.      Williams 1874  to   1896 

Geo.    F.    Hand 1879  to  1906 

F.    Edgerton 1879  to   1882 

H.  J.  Gaylord 1879  to   1909 

O.   Z.   Brown 1883  to   1899 

Joel   W.   Scott 1886  to   1892 

James  M.  Stone 1887  to   1899 

W.    L.    Bundy 1892  to   1903 

C.  T.  Mitchell 1892  to  1895 

N.  D.  Musson 189^  — 

B.  J.  Bayless 1897  to   1908 

Vinton    S.    Paessler 1898  to   1909 

T.   M.   Greacen 1900  — 

W.   O.   Birdsall 1900  — 

L.  A.  Osgood 1900  to   1909 

Theodore  C.  Thorpe 1903  to   1907 

Edgar  L.   Vincent 1907  — 

W.   T.   Haney 1908  — 

Hugh  W.  Prytherch 1908  — 

Bertrand  R.  Brigham 1909  — 

Wm.  H.  Foster 1909  — 

Henry  L.  Arneke 

Theodore  C.  Thorpe 

W^.  T.  Couper 

Frank  Snyder 

DEACONS  OF  WEST  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 

E.  F.  Matthews 1873  to  1886 

E.  B.  Barnes 1873  to   1879 

J.  W.   Manier 1873  ^^   1892 

O.   Z.   Brown 1877  to  1883 


230  Appendix 

E.  B.  Whitney 1883  to  1888 

W.   E.   Barnes to  1895 

L.  K.  Thompson 1883  to   1892 

H.  D.  Whitmarsh 1892  to  1904 

Frank     Snyder 1892  — 

Chas.  A.  Ball 1900  to   1903 

C.  E.  Terrill 1898  to  1906 

W.  T.   Haney 1895  to  1909 

C.   E.  Hathaway 1895  to   1903 

B.  J.  Bayless 1895  to  1897 

L.  A.  Osgood 1897  to  1900 

William  Liddell 1903  — 

H.   W.   Prytherch 1903  to  1908 

Ray  E.  Chamberlin 1904  to   1906 

B.   R.   Brigham 1906  to  1909 

Irwin    B.    Parce 1906  — 

F.  R.  Salisbury 1908  — 

B.  S.  Swayze 1908  — 

Chas.  W.  Bryers 1909  — 

A.  E.  Benedict 

Donald  F.  Gilbert 

Arthur  Webb 

Marion   E.   Sawtelle 

TRUSTEES  OF  WEST  PRESBYTERIAN 
SOCIETY 

M.    L.    Barnes 1871   to  1879 

and  1892  to  1895 

G.  W.  Burbank 1871  to  1893 

E.  F.  Matthews 1871  to  1886 


Appendix  231 

E.  B.  Barnes 1871  to  1877 

J.  H.  Christopher 1872  to  1875 

E.  W.  Evans 1873  to   1874 

George  Williams 1874  ^^   ^^^^ 

James   M.   Stone 1875  to   1885 

and  1889  to  1891 

John  E.  Johnson 1877  to   1878 

J.  W.  Manier 1878  to  1884 

and  1888  to   1889 

H.  J.  Gaylord 1880  to  1893 

George  F.  Hand 1881   to   1892 

David  Murray 1882  to   1884 

Uriel    Parker 1884  to   1886 

L.  K.  Thompson 1884  to   1891 

E.  Finney 1886  to   1889 

J.    M.    Seabury 1886  to  1892 

W.   E.   Barnes 1889  to   1891 

W.  L.  Bundy 1891  to  1900 

N.  D.  Musson 1891  to  1895 

H.  D.  Whitmarsh 1892  to  1907 

Clarence  F.  Peck • 1893  — 

Charles  A.  Ball 189^  — 

C.   E.   Hathaway 1897  to   1908 

W.  H.  Bundy 1900  to   1903 

B.  A.  Baumann. 1904  to   1913 

H.   W.    Prytherch 1905  — 

H.   H.   Young 1907  — 

Irwin   B.    Parce 1908  — 

George  Fowler 1912  — 

George  A.  Thompson 1913  — 


232  Appendix 

TREASURERS   OF   WEST    PRESBYTERIAN 
SOCIETY 

J.  W.  Manier 1871  to  1875 

O.   Z.   Brown 1875  to  1879 

F.    Edgerton 1879  to  1881 

E.  B.    Whitney 1881   to  1885 

W.   E.   Barnes 1885  to  1890 

H.  D.  Whitmarsh 1890  to  1891 

F.  Barnum 1891   to  1892 

A.   B.    Cady 1892  to  1893 

Chas.  A.  Ball 1893  to  1899 

W.  H.  Bundy 1899  to  1903 

Hugh  W.  Prytherch 1903  to  1912 

George  A.  Thompson 1912  — 

ASSISTANT    TREASURERS 

Wm.   E.   Gurney 1897  to   1898 

Geo.  A.  Thompson 1905  to   1912 

John   D.    Booth 1912  — 

WEST  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 

PRESENT  OFFICERS,  1914 

Pastor,  Rev.  A.  B.  McCormick. 

Pastor  Emeritus,  Rev.  Samuel  Dunham. 

ELDERS 

Wm.  O.  Birdsall,  Walter  T.  Couper, 

Thomas  M.  Greacen,  Edgar  L.  Vincent, 

Bertrand  R.  Brigham,  Hugh  W.  Prytherch, 

Henry  Arneke,  Frank  Snyder. 
Theodore  C.  Thorpe, 


Appendiw  233 

DEACONS 

Fred  R.  Salisbury,  Burnett  S.   Swayze, 

Wm.  Liddell,  Marion  E.   Sawtelle, 

Arthur  Webb,  Charles  W.  Bryers. 

TRUSTEES 

Clarence  F.  Peck,  Howard  H.  Young, 

George  Fowler,  Geo.  A.  Thompson, 

Hugh  W.  Prytherch,  Dr.  H.  D.  Whitmarsh. 

TENTH  ANNIVERSARY  OF  THE  FLORAL  AVE- 
NUE    PRESBYTERIAN     CHURCH     OF 

BINGHAMTON,    MAY    22,    1902. 

HISTORICAL  SKETCH  BY  MR.  G.  M.  T.  JOHNSON 

I  am  asked  to  give  a  little  history  of  the  Floral  Ave- 
nue Presbyterian  Church — to  tell  what  it  has  done  in 
the  first  ten  years  of  its  existence.  I  can  not  do  it.  Its 
true  record  has  not  been  kept  here. 

We  feel  sure,  however,  a  record  has  been  kept  of  what 
it  has  done  for  the  Master,  and  also  what  it  has  left 
undone,  and  opportunities  let  pass. 

Christ  clearly  defines  who  are  his  and  do  his  will, 
those  who  lift  up  the  fallen,  feed  the  hungry,  visit  the 
sick,  clothe  the  naked,  those  who  cheer  the  sorrowful  and 
bring  peace  and  love  where  there  has  been  hate  and  un- 
kind feeling.  If  we  have  made  men  better  citizens — if 
we  have  relieved  the  suffering  it  is  recorded  to  our  credit. 
If,  on  the  other  hand,  we  have  visited  the  suffering  and 
needy  and  brought  prayers  and  posies,  whereas  we  should 
have  carried  bread  and  potatoes,  it  is  recorded  against 
us — but,  as  I  have  said,  of  this  we  have  no  record. 


234  Appendix 

I  have  been  able  however  to  note  some  of  the  progress 
of  the  church  as  we  are  able  to  record  it,  but  of  its  be- 
ginning I  have  no  record,  for  God  only  knows  its  be- 
ginning. He  knows  what  in  the  past  fifty  or  one  hun- 
dred years  had  a  bearing  on  the  making  of  this  Floral 
Avenue  church.  There  is  always  a  preparation.  Men 
and  women  must  be  raised  up  who  will  come  into  the 
work  of  organizing  such  an  institution  as  a  church  of 
Christ.  I  will  go  back  however  as  far  as  I  can,  and 
mention  some  of  the  beginnings,  of  which  I  believe  we 
have  no  written  record.  In  the  year  1875,  twenty-seven 
years  ago,  I  first  came  down  to  West  End.  The  other 
people  of  this  community  invited  me  to  their  prayer 
meetings  which  were  held  every  Thursday  evening. 
They  told  me  the  prayer  meetings  had  been  kept  up  then 
for  twenty  years.  We  who  believe  in  God  will  not 
question  the  leading  influences  of  these  prayer  meetings 
and  we  should  give  due  credit  to  the  faithful  ones  who 
since  1855,  six  years  before  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil 
War,  in  the  heat  of  Summer  and  cold  of  Winter,  came 
together  every  Thursday  evening  and  united  their  prayers 
for  the  blessing  and  guidance  of  God.  I  have  tried  to 
get  particulars  of  the  organization  of  this  prayer  meet- 
ing. There  is  a  person  here  to-night  (Mrs.  Alfred 
Brown)  who  says  she  was  present  at  the  first  prayer 
meeting  about  1854  held  at  the  home  of  Mr.  Erastus 
Barnes,  father  of  the  late  Morgan  L.  Barnes,  of  the 
West  Presbyterian  Church,  who  lived  in  the  house  where 
Mr.  Hull  now  lives  on  Main  Street.  There  were  pres- 
ent Mr.  Erastus  Barnes,  Mr.  Ephraim  Matthews  and 
Martin  Swift,  who  was  teaching  school  in  the  district  at 


AppendioD  235 

that  time,  and  some  ladies.  Later  Mr.  William  Brown, 
and  Alfred  Brown  and  David  Miller  and  families  moved 
into  this  neighborhood  and  supported  the  meetings,  and 
others  of  whom  I  have  no  record.  In  1875  those  prom- 
inent in  the  weekly  prayer  meetings  were  Deacon  Mat- 
thews, Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alfred  Brown,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Gil- 
bert. The  names  of  these  three  men  are  on  our  me- 
morial windows.  I  think  many  who  read  these  names 
wonder  who  they  are.  There  were  also  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Smithers,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Titchener,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
George  Williams.  I  have  probably  forgotten  others. 
These  meetings  were  held  at  their  different  homes.  They 
were  discontinued  at  the  organization  of  the  church,  and 
I  would  give  due  credit  at  this  time  to  the  faithful  mem- 
bers of  these  prayer  meetings. 

In  the  Summer  of  1890  a  canvass  of  this  district  was 
made  by  Mr.  Dickson  and  myself  to  ascertain  how  many 
children  there  were  who  did  not  attend  Sabbath  school. 
We  found,  if  I  remember  rightly,  eighty-two.  This  fact 
was  reported  to  Dr.  Nichols  and  it  impressed  him 
strongly.  He  called  together  some  of  his  church  mem- 
bers, together  with  representatives  from  the  West  and 
North  churches,  and  the  Presbyterian  Union  was  organ- 
ized, with  the  avowed  purpose  to  sustain  Sabbath  schools 
at  the  West  End  and  East  End.  They  bought  the  lot 
on  which  this  house  stands  of  the  Alfred  Brown  estate 
and  at  once  commenced  to  build.  Mr.  Dickson  was  given 
an  oversight  of  the  work. 

The  house  was  dedicated  Oct.  18,  1891.  I  will  give 
the  programme : 

Organ  Voluntary. 


236  Appendix 

Doxology,  "Praise  God  from  Whom,"  etc. 

Invocation  by  Rev.  A.  J.  Schlager,  followed  by  the 
Lord's  Prayer. 

Scripture  lesson  by  Rev.  E.  W.  Lake. 

Anthem  by  West  Presbyterian  Church  quartette. 

Addresses  by  Rev.  G.  Parsons  Nichols  and  Rev.  Sam- 
uel Dunham. 

Hymn. 

Address  by  Dr.  Geo.  F.  Hand. 

Statement  by  President  George  F.  Lyon. 

Responsive  reading  of  the  122nd  psalm  beginning 
with  "I  was  glad  when  they  said  unto  me,  Let  us  go 
into  the  house  of,"  etc. 

Then  we  all  repeated  in  concert — 

"This  house  which  we  have  been  permitted  to  build 
through  the  gracious  favor  of  Divine  Providence  we  do 
now  solemnly  dedicate  to  the  worship  and  service  of 
Almighty  God,  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost. 
Amen." 

Dedicatory  prayer  by  Rev.  John  McVey. 

Hymn. 

Benediction  by  Rev.  Sabin  McKinney. 

On  the  following  Sabbath,  at  3  o'clock,  a  Sabbath 
school  of  12  classes  and  60  members  was  organized. 
The  Presbyterian  Union  appointed  Mr.  Charles  T.  Dick- 
son superintendent  and  later  the  school  elected  a  full 
set  of  officers,  with  Mr.  Dickson  as  superintendent.  Of 
the  original  17  officers  and  teachers  those  who  are  still 
holding  offices  or  are  teachers  are  Mr.  Dickson,  Mrs. 
Dickson  and  Miss  Tena  Stickley.  The  school  was  a  suc- 
cess from  the  first.     It  was  a  plan  of  the  Union  to  only 


Appendix  237 

have  a  Sabbath  school,  but  it  soon  seemed  best  to  have 
regular  preaching,  and  they  employed  Rev.  T.  C.  Mil- 
ler as  pastor  of  this  organization  and  the  one  at  East 
End  organized  about  the  same  time.  Mr.  Miller  com- 
menced his  services  on  Jan.  lO,  1892.  At  this  time  no 
serious  thought  was  taken  as  to  the  organization  of  a 
church,  but  the  morning  was  already  here  and  it  would 
have  been  as  foolish  as  an  attempt  to  try  to  keep  back 
the  full  day.  So  we  were  led  along.  Mr.  Miller  be- 
came satisfied  that  there  were  enough  church  members 
interested  to  make  a  church,  and  convinced  the  officers 
of  the  Union  that  it  would  be  advantageous  to  do  so. 
On  April  5,  1892,  Mr.  Miller,  Mr.  HoUister,  Mr.  Dick- 
son, Mr.  Wilbur,  Mr.  Wickham  and  Mr.  Johnson  met 
the  committee  of  organization  and  control,  consisting  of 
Rev.  Samuel  Dunham,  Rev.  E.  W.  Lake,  Dr.  Geo.  F. 
Hand  and  S.  Mills  Ely,  in  the  parlors  of  the  First  Pres- 
byterian Church,  and  it  was  agreed  that  an  organization 
was  advisable.  The  committee  recommended  that  a  rep- 
resentative of  the  people  be  sent  to  presbytery,  with  a 
petition  that  they  be  permitted  to  organize  a  church. 
Mr.  Dickson  was  sent  by  the  people  to  the  meeting  of 
presb3^tery  in  Waverly  on  April  16th,  with  a  petition 
from  the  people  signed  by  26  persons.  The  presbytery 
appointed  a  committee  with  power  to  organize  a  church, 
if  it  should  seem  best.  Mr.  Miller  met  the  committee 
on  April  29th,  with  a  partial  list  of  those  who  would 
become  members,  and  it  was  decided  by  the  committee 
to  organize  a  church  on  May  22nd. 

On  May  22nd,   1892,  ten  years  ago  to-day,  at  2 :30. 
p.  M.,  the  committee  appointed  by  the  presbytery,  with 


238  Appendix 

Rev.  Samuel  Dunham  chairman,  met  in  this  chapel  and 
proceeded  to  organize  a  church. 

Forty-four  members  were  included  in  the  church. 
Thirty-five  came  with  letters  from  eleven  different 
churches.  Presbyterian,  Congregational,  Methodist,  and 
Baptist,  and  nine  on  profession. 

The  services  were  opened  by  singing  "All  Hail  the 
Power  of  Jesus'  Name,"  followed  by  reading  of  Scrip- 
ture by  Rev.  Mr.  Lake,  1st  Thes.  5-1  to  23.  Next  an 
anthem  by  the  First  Presbyterian  choir,  'T  was  glad 
when  they  said  unto  me,"  etc.  Mr.  Dunham  conducted 
the  organizing  services.  Rev.  T.  G.  Darling  made  the 
constituting  prayer,  which  was  followed  by  an  anthem 
by  the  choir,  "He  shall  gather  them  in  his  arms." 

Rev.  Samuel  Dunham  then  asked  the  church  to  choose 
its  officers.  They  elected  Mr.  Dickson,  Mr.  Wilbur  and 
Mr.  Johnson  elders,  and  Mr.  Mudge,  Lewis  Dickson 
and  Mr.  Wickham  deacons.  Rev.  Mr.  Miller  ordained 
them  to  their  respective  offices.  Rev.  John  McVey  gave 
a  charge  to  the  people. 

An  offering  was  then  taken.  The  congregation  then 
joined  in  singing  "Blest  Be  the  Tie  that  Binds,"  and 
we  were  dismissed  by  Rev.  Samuel  Dunham.  Such  was 
the  organization  of  our  much  loved  Floral  Avenue  Pres- 
byterian Church. 

The  time  for  holding  the  Sabbath  school  was  changed 
from  3  o'clock  to  12  o'clock  soon  after  Mr.  Miller  first 
came  into  the  field.  This  took  from  our  numbers  those 
who  attended  other  schools.  The  first  meeting  of  the  ses- 
sion was  held  June  25th. 

During  our  first  year  there  were  added  ten  members. 


Appendix  239 

eight  on  profession  and  two  by  letter.  Mr.  Miller  urged 
very  liberal  collections  for  missions. 

We  undertook  to  support  a  native  preacher  in  India. 
Sidram  Jadhoc  was  his  name.  Forty-five  dollars  a  year 
would  do  it.  This  was  raised  by  a  system  of  pledges 
from  all,  children  and  grown  people,  from  one  cent  to 
twenty-five  cents  per  week.  A  great  deal  of  enthusiasm 
was  worked  up  and  $45.59  was  raised  during  nine 
months,  which  was  duly  forwarded. 

During  this  time  Mr.  Miller  gathered  an  infant  class 
of  over  thirty  little  ones.  This  class  is  now  the  most 
important  class  of  our  Sunday  school. 

Our  Christian  Endeavor  Society  was  organized  on 
September  28th,  1892,  with  thirty  members.  It  now 
numbers  ^^  and  nine  associates. 

On  August  17th,  1894,  M^-  Miller  called  the  officers 
of  the  church  together  and  informed  them  that  he  had 
received  a  call  from  the  Congregational  Church  of  Wood- 
bridge,  N.  J.,  and  handed  in  his  resignation.  A  meeting 
of  the  church  was  called  Aug.  22nd,  at  which  time  Mr. 
Miller's  resignation  was  presented  and  was  accepted. 

There  followed  a  period  of  nine  months  without  a 
pastor,  during  which  time  the  church  obtained  supplies 
from  city  ministers  who  were  without  charges. 

During  this  period  the  church  was  receiving  no  as- 
sistance from  the  Union.  We  saw  the  necessity  of  keep- 
ing out  of  debt  and  always  agreed  with  the  one  occupy- 
ing the  pulpit  that  he  should  take  the  collection,  be  it 
large  or  small.  It  amounted  to  from  three  to  five  dol- 
lars per  Sunday. 

Our  pulpit  was  often  supplied  by  laymen  who  charged 


240  Apjyendix 

us  nothing,  allowing  the  collection  to  go  towards  pay 
for  wood  and  coal.  Those  who  preached  for  us  during 
this  period  were  Roods,  Taylor,  Downing,  Palmer,  Mc- 
Lachlan,  Stowell,  Donaldson,  Lake  and  Schlager,  and 
Laymen  Hand,  Norton,  Lockwood  and  Clements. 
Messrs.  Judson,  Rawson,  Sutherland  and  Bryant  were 
candidates. 

On  February  nth  a  meeting  of  the  church  was  held 
and  a  call  was  given  to  Mr.  Sutherland.  He  had  al- 
ready received  a  call  from  Susquehanna,  and  on  April 
1st  another  meeting  was  held  and  a  call  given  to  Rev. 
Robert  C.  Bryant,  still  in  the  seminary.  Mr.  Bryant 
was  ordained  and  installed  on  June  4th,  1895.  The 
sermon  was  preached  by  Rev.  Willis  J.  Beecher,  of  Au- 
burn Theological  Seminary.  The  charge  to  the  pastor 
was  given  by  Rev.  Robert  A.  Bryant,  father  of  the  pas- 
tor. Mr.  Bryant  was  much  loved  by  his  people,  espe- 
cially the  young.  He  entered  into  all  of  their  undivided 
interests  and  always  had  a  cheering  word  for  all.  Dur- 
ing the  Summer  of  1897  Mr.  Bryant  visited  Palestine 
and  the  pulpit  was  supplied  by  Rev.  R.  H.  Merrill.  On 
Jan.  16,  1898,  Mr.  Bryant  read  his  resignation,  much 
to  the  surprise  of  all,  and  closed  his  pastorate  Oct.  31st, 
1898.  There  followed  a  period  of  two  months  without 
a  pastor. 

Late  in  December  the  officers  of  the  church  engaged 
Mr.  Fay  as  supply  and  the  union  has  been  a  healthy 
one.  The  history  of  the  church  is  fresh  in  the  minds 
of  all. 

Our  church  has  prospered  in  all  of  its  branches.  Our 
membership   has   increased.     Our  prayer  meetings   have 


Appendioo  241 

been  largely  attended.     There  is  great  spiritual  interest, 
and  our  church  is  led  along  on  Bible  lines. 

We  had  hoped  before  this  to  be  self-supporting,  but 
v/e  are  not.  We  are  gaining  every  year,  however.  It 
requires  patience  and  persistent  work.  Our  friends  in 
the  city,  who  first  bought  this  lot  and  built  this  house, 
have  assisted  us  in  our  work  here  at  different  times  very 
much.  In  the  Summer  of  1899  there  was  felt  the  great 
need  of  more  room  for  our  Sabbath  school.  A  large 
addition  was  built  to  the  north,  at  an  expense  of  $8oo. 
Most  all  of  this  amount  was  subscribed  by  our  friends 
in  the  city  in  amounts  ranging  from  $5.00  to  $50.00, 
and  the  addition  was  dedicated  on  Oct.  9th  free  from 
debt.     The  following  was  the  programme : 

Music. 

Invocation  by  Rev.  Samuel  Dunham,  chairman  of  the 
committee  on  organization  and  control,  of  the  Presby- 
terian Union. 

Music  by  Floral  Avenue  Quartette,  "Onward  and  Up- 
ward." 

Scripture,  84th  Psalm,  Rev.  Mr.  McLachlan. 

Hymn  996  in  New  Laudes  Domini. 

Sermon,  Rev.  John  McVey. 

Dedicatory  prayer  by  Rev.  Mr.  Greenwood. 

Music  by  Church  Quartette. 

Five  minute  remarks  by  the  three  elders. 

Hymn  986. 

Benediction. 

Followed  by  refreshments. 

When  this  addition  was  built  it  was  thought  we  did 


242  Appendix 

not  then  need  so  large  a  room,  but  would  need  it  in  fu- 
ture, but  now  it  is  none  too  large  and  the  infant  class 
occupy  the  vestry  and  the  room  below.  It  is  a  verifica- 
tion of  the  promise,  "Open  thy  mouth  wide  and  I  will 
fill  it,"  and  not  long  hence  the  question  will  be,  What 
will  we  do  for  room? 

During  the  past  few  weeks  we  have  enjoyed  a  revival 
which  almost  seems  like  the  approving  favor  of  God 
on  our  work  here.  Many  have  said,  I  will  from  now 
on,  with  the  help  of  God,  be  a  Christian.  While  the 
older  ones  have  said,  With  the  help  of  God,  I  will  be 
a  better  Christian  than  I  have.  Since  then  our  prayer 
meetings  have  been  too  large  for  the  vestry  and  we  are 
obliged  to  hold  them  in  this  auditorium. 

I  have  neglected  to  mention  that  on  February  28th, 
1897,  during  Mr.  Bryant's  pastorate,  a  Junior  Christian 
Endeavor  Society  was  organized  with  26  members.  This 
was  a  very  important  branch  of  our  church.  It  was  un- 
der the  management  of  Mrs.  Etta  Houck,  its  president, 
who  by  hard  work  made  it  an  organization  of  45  mem- 
bers. When  she  was  obliged  to  give  it  up  by  her  re- 
moval from  the  neighborhood,  it  was  temporarily  sus- 
pended Nov.  24th,  1901. 

Our  Senior  Christian  Endeavor  now  numbers  55"  mem- 
bers and  9  associates  under  the  presidency  of  Mrs.  Lena 
Weeks.  It  is  in  a  flourishing  condition.  They  con- 
tribute twenty  dollars  a  year  for  missions  and  benevo- 
lences. 

Our  Sabbath  school  under  Mr.  Dickson  (Mr.  Dickson 
was  our  first  superintendent)  is  large  and  flourishing. 
There  are  now  30  classes  with  236  members.     Here  with 


Appendix  243 

the  young  is  the  most  important  work  of  our  church. 
That  fact  is  becoming  clearer  every  year. 

Of  the  44  members  which  our  church  numbered  ten 
years  ago,  four  have  died  and  eighteen  have  moved 
away  or  been  dropped,  leaving  still  on  the  roll  twenty 
of  the  original  members. 

We  have  received  during  the  past  ten  years  165.  We 
have  had  in  all  209,  deducting  the  loss  during  the  ten 
years  of  70  members,  we  number  now  139. 

Let  us  expect  great  things  trusting  in  God  and  be- 
lieving his  promises.  Let  us  take  courage  and  go  for- 
ward for  another  ten  years.  And  when  we  celebrate 
our  twentieth  anniversary  we  who  are  here  will  prob- 
ably see  greater  changes  than  now.  Few  if  any  of  the 
charter  members  will  be  left,  and  if  on  that  day  we 
could  read  what  the  recording  angel  had  put  down  as  to 
our  church,  which  do  you  think  would  be  the  better  for 
his  book  to  read — "They  have  a  fine  brick  church,  with 
a  large  salaried  minister,  and  big  membership,  who  feel 
well  satisfied,"  or  this — "They  still  worship  in  their 
little  chapel,  but  they  are  all  in  love  with  one  another, 
and  have  well  attended  prayer  meetings,  and  the  sick 
and  suffering,  the  hungry  and  the  poorly  clothed  are 
provided  for.  The  sorrowful  are  cheered,  the  erring  are 
strengthened  and  the  fallen  are  lifted  up,  and  a  general 
feeling  of  charity  and  forgiveness  pervades  th'e  whole 
church." 

Which  report  would  you  think  the  better*? 


244  Appendio! 

PAPER  READ  BY  MR.  G.  M.  T.  JOHNSON  AT 

THE    TWENTIETH     ANNIVERSARY     OF 

FLORAL    AVENUE     PRESBYTERIAN 

CHURCH,  MAY  22,  1912. 

On  this,  the  twentieth  anniversary  of  our  organiza- 
tion, we  come  together  to  look  into  each  other's  faces, 
take  note  of  events  of  the  past  twenty  years  in  the  work 
of  our  church,  recall  the  love  and  zeal  of  those  who  have 
died  in  the  harness,  with  their  benedictions  of  love  on 
our  church,  and  to  give  cheer  and  courage  and  love  to  the 
remaining  members. 

I  would  like  to  stop  long  enough  to  pay  a  loving 
tribute  to  those  who  set  out  with  us,  in  the  early  dawn 
of  the  morning,  twenty  years  ago,  in  the  tedious  work  of 
organizing,  and  bore  the  heat  of  the  early  day,  when 
the  call  was  for  patience  and  hard  work,  and  died  in  the 
harness,  still  burdened  with  anxiety  for  its  success. 
There  were  good  workers  then.  I  will  mention  espe- 
cially two  of  the  original  members,  now  passed  away, 
in  the  last  ten  years :  Messrs.  Theron  R.  Hollister  and 
Charles  T.  Dickson.  Of  them  it  may  be  said,  "They 
believed  God  and  it  was  counted  to  them  for  righteous- 
ness." Mr.  Hollister  did  little  talking;  his  work  was 
especially  as  a  trustee.  He  could  see  ways  and  means 
for  bridging  streams  and  crossing  with  courage ;  he  in- 
spired others  with  his  courage.  He  was  an  elder  from 
1893  to  1898,  and  trustee  from  the  time  of  organization 
to  the  time  of  his  death,  Jan.  21,  1907. 

Mr.  Dickson  was  one  of  the  first,  when  the  needs  of 
this  locality  became  known,  who  said,  "Here  am  I,  send 
me."     He  was  appointed  by  the  Presbyterian  Union  to 


Appendix  245 

superintend  the  building  of  this  chapel.  He  was  one  of 
the  first  and  longest  serving  officers  of  the  church  as 
trustee,  and  elder  and  superintendent  of  the  Sabbath 
school  and  in  every  other  department  of  work  in  the  in- 
terest of  the  church.     Mr.  Dickson  died  Aug.  13,  1907. 

Our  church  was  organized  twenty  years  ago,  May  22, 
1892,  and  if  in  each  one  of  those  years,  as  they  have 
come  and  gone,  there  has  been  given  out  a  force  which 
has  been  for  a  betterment  of  the  residents  of  West  End, 
and  if  from  the  lives  of  those  who  have  left  us  there 
has  gone  an  influence  which  has  been  as  a  light  on  a 
candlestick,  then  by  just  that  much  can  we  say  our  work 
has  been  a  success.  The  little  gatherings  on  the  bare 
mountain  side,  or  on  the  shores  of  the  lake,  where  Jesus 
taught  the  people  the  great  truths  of  life,  were  a  thou- 
sand times  more  a  success  than  was  the  massive  temple 
in  which  great  sums  of  money  were  given,  but  was  called 
by  the  Master  himself,  a  den  of  thieves.  A  stump  in 
a  lumber  camp,  or  a  rock  in  a  desert,  is  often  a  more 
consecrated  pulpit  than  many  highly  carved  and  orna- 
mented platforms  of  our  churches.  In  saying  this  I  do 
not  mean  to  decry  churches  or  pulpits,  but  to  say  it  is 
not  the  outward  form  or  show,  but  the  spirit  within 
which  is  the  temple  of  God  and  will  withstand  the  fire 
of  that  great  day. 

But  we  must  remember  our  report  is  only  as  we  look 
at  past  events  from  this  side.  There  is  another  record 
kept,  as  I  said  in  the  ten  years  report,  a  very  minute 
report,  which  has  to  do  with  our  thoughts  and  purposes, 
and  we  will  not  know  what  this  is  till  the  great  books 
are  opened ;  and  what  is  the  very  solemn  feature  of  this 


246  Appendico 

is  the  fact  that  we  are,  each  one,  writing  a  part  of  that 
report,  which  will  appear.  We  are  taught  that  a 
heavenly  Father's  hand  leads  those  who  not  only  ask 
him  for  guidance  but  who  believe  him,  and  it  would 
seem  he  has  seen  our  needs  and  guided  us  with  his  lov- 
ing eye,  and  sent  to  us  pastors  best  fitted  to  the  needs 
of  the  church  at  those  times. 

A  report  of  the  first  decade  of  our  church  was  read 
at  the  tenth  anniversary.  This  report  is  intended  to 
take  up  the  account  of  our  work  from  that  time.  Rev. 
C.  Edward  Fay  was  our  pastor  then.  The  exercises  of 
reunion  were  held  in  this  chapel  with  a  brief  report  of 
the  first  decade.  The  showing  was  satisfactory.  The 
people  were  in  happy  accord  with  their  pastor.  Mr.  Fay 
closed  his  pastorate  in  the  fall  of  1905,  after  a  term  of 
six  years'  service. 

He  was  followed  by  Rev.  A.  W.  Allen,  who  com- 
menced his  pastorate  early  in  December,  1905,  and,  after 
a  period  of  six  months,  accepted  a  call  to  another  church 
in  May,  1906. 

Rev.  Samuel  Dunham,  our  present  pastor,  accepted  a 
call  from  the  church  and  commenced  his  labors  on  the 
first  Sabbath  of  June,  1906,  coming  to  us  with  rich  and 
ripe  experiences  as  a  pastor  of  the  West  Presbyterian 
Church  of  this  city,  in  a  very  opportune  time  of  our 
church  history. 

Allow  me  here  to  call  to  your  minds  some  very  inter- 
esting coincidences  in  our  relationship  with  Mr.  Dun- 
ham. Mr.  Dunham  was  chairman  of  the  committee 
which  had  oversight  of  our  organization  from  the  first. 
On  the  dedication  of  this  chapel,  October  18,   1891,  he 


Appendix  247 

gave  an  address.  It  was  a  very  nice  thing  to  start  a 
church  for  the  service  of  God,  and  it  should  be  started 
right,  so  much  depends  upon  how  it  is  started,  and  the 
dedication  of  this  chapel  was  the  first  visible  evidence. 
He  was  one  of  the  committee  sent  by  presbytery  to  or- 
ganize us,  and  on  May  22nd,  1892,  conducted  the  serv- 
ices of  organization,  baptizing  the  unbaptized  members, 
leading  the  people  in  their  covenant  together,  and  pro- 
nouncing them  duly  organized  into  the  Floral  Avenue 
Presbyterian  Church. 

At  the  ordination  of  Mr.  Bryant,  June  4th,  1895,  Mr. 
Dunham  made  the  ordaining  prayer.  On  the  occasion 
of  the  dedication  of  the  addition  of  this  chapel,  October 
9th,  1900,  Mr.  Dunham  presided  and  made  the  opening 
prayer,  and  has  had  a  watchful  eye  over  us  till  now. 

When,  in  the  Summer  of  1906,  our  church  was  left 
abruptly  without  a  pastor,  and  we  looked  into  each 
other's  faces  and  asked,  what  will  we  do  now, — we 
turned  to  Mr.  Dunham  and  he  came  to  us,  and  we  are 
enjoying  prosperity,  spiritually  and  temporally,  through 
his  leadership. 

"Thus  far  the  Lord  hath  led  us  on — 
Thus  far  he  has  brought  us  on  our  way." 

On  all  lines  we  believe  during  the  past  ten  years  our 
church  has  made  good  progress  as  compared  with  the 
report  of  ten  years  ago.  May  22nd,  1902.  The  church 
had  then  made  excellent  advance.  The  present  report 
covers  another  ten  years  of  church  life,  a  very  important 
period  which  called  for  wise  and  careful  leadership. 
From  our  church  have  gone  a  number  who  were  of  great 


248  Appendix 

worth  to  our  organization.  They  were  a  nucleus  of  a 
sister  church,  doing  good  work  for  the  Master.  This 
appears  to  be  like  his  leadership,  for  now  instead  of 
one,  there  are  two,  both  working  to  one  end,  each  one 
stronger  than  the  parent  body  ten  years  ago,  for  which 
God  be  praised. 

The  last  report  which  covered  the  first  decade,  from 
which  we  have  to  make  data  for  this  one,  gives  the  fol- 
lowing items, — Total  number  of  communicants,  121.  It 
will  be  remembered  our  organization  number  was  44, 
making  an  increase  in  membership  of  175  per  cent.  Our 
report  at  the  close  of  the  second  ten  years  gives  our 
church  membership  309,  making  an  increase  of  188,  after 
all  losses  in  the  last  ten  years. 

As  to  finances.  Our  report  to  the  General  Assembly 
for  the  last  year  of  the  first  decade  was  a  fair  year  re- 
port and  showed  great  progress  in  the  ten  years.  I  will 
use  that  as  a  comparison  with  our  report  of  this  year 
which  will  better  give  our  condition  at  the  present  time. 
During  the  last  year  of  the  first  decade,  we  received  for 
current  expenses  $929,  and  this  last  year  of  the  second 
decade  $1,620.  But  the  Christian  life  of  a  person  or  a 
church  is  better  shown  in  what  it  does  for  others,  rather 
than  what  it  does  for  itself.  It  tells  the  strength  of  the 
heart  beat.  During  the  last  year  of  the  first  decade  the 
church  gave  to  benevolences  $91,  as  compared  with  our 
gifts  of  last  year  (1912)  of  $519,  a  gain  of  570  per 
cent.*  Of  course  our  church  is  stronger  than  it  was 
ten  years   ago,   as  has   already  been  shown.     Such  evi- 

*The  benevolent  offerings  of  1913  amounted  to  $711  and  those 
of  1914  to  $987,  an  increase  of  over  900  per  cent. 


Appendix  249 

dences  of  Christian  love  persuade  us  that  the  church  is  in 
a  flourishing  condition  and  on  Christ  lines,  who  spent 
and  gave  his  life  for  others. 

During  the  last  ten  years  there  have  been  made  very 
material  changes  and  improvements  in  this  building 
which  are  great  assets  to  the  church.  The  most  im- 
portant of  which  I  would  mention  the  addition  of  the 
two  new  rooms  under  the  body  of  this  building,  not  so 
much  as  to  the  real  money  value,  though  that  was  quite 
a  sum,  but  the  way  in  which  it  was  done.  A  few  years 
ago  there  was  organized  in  the  Sabbath  school  a  class 
of  men  known  as  the  Floralminster  Class.  There  was 
much  need  of  more  room.  The  under  part  of  the  main 
body  of  this  building  was  simply  dirt,  which  if  thrown 
out  would  give  fine  space  for  two  more  rooms  for  church 
and  Sabbath  school  purposes.  But  that  aforesaid  dirt 
was  dry  and  hard  as  unbaked  brick  and  if  removed  it 
must  be  by  the  shovelful  through  a  cellar  window,  a 
very  cramped  and  hard  place  in  which  to  work.  But 
the  Floralminster  Class  took  hold  of  it,  and  it  had  to 
come.  At  odd  hours,  after  full  day's  work  elsewhere, 
each  one  put  in  spare  time,  sometimes  by  lantern  light, 
till  the  dirt  was  all  thrown  out.  They  bought  the  ma- 
terial and  built  two  fine  rooms — without  any  excitement 
or  bluster  or  subscription  pledges,  for  they  saw  the  need 
and  had  a  mind  to  work. 

In  making  this  report  it  will  be  observed  I  have  given 
most  space  to  general  results  of  our  work  here  as  it  ap- 
plies to  the  moral  effect  on  people  under  its  influence. 
It  has  appealed  to  me  very  forcibly  as  I  look  back  twenty 
years   (so  short  a  time),  that  material  appearances  of 


250  Appendix 

growth  and  position  really  count  but  little.  The  figures 
of  numbers  of  members  or  of  dollars  contributed  really 
do  not  count  much  in  a  church  report,  and  your  and  my 
work  done  here,  as  I  take  a  little  look  backward,  over 
our  time  here  and  elsewhere,  be  it  twenty  or  seventy 
years,  really  seems  like  sounding  brass  or  a  tinkling 
cymbal,  if  the  real  purpose  for  which  a  church  is  organ- 
ized is  not  well  worked  out. 

These  facts  appeal  to  me  more  forcibly  as  time  passes, 
and  I  notice  the  empty  places  of  old  co-workers.  The 
report  of  numbers  of  members  or  of  dollars  is  but  a  sim- 
ple and  easy  matter.  I  see  more  clearly  the  littleness 
of  these  when  I  remember  that  in  the  final  reckoning  our 
work  will  be  considered  as  to  results  by  One  who  looks 
not  on  the  outward  appearance  but  on  the  purposes  of 
the  heart ;  not  on  temples  and  numbers,  but  on  what  has 
been  the  amount  of  lift  up  force  displayed  in  the  com- 
munity of  West  End.  If  I  have  enlarged  too  much  on 
the  less  important  features,  please  accord  it  to  personal 
short  sight,  but  let  us  all  try  to  bear  in  mind  the  great 
meaning  of  success — be  it  of  an  individual  or  of  a  church. 

We  will  bid  one  another  good-by  and  let  us  try  to 
make  our  church  work  grow  brighter  and  better  from 
year  to  year,  and  may  our  report  ten  years  hence  be  a 
good  one. 

The  following  is  the  list  of  oflficers  of  Floral  Avenue 
Church  at  the  present  time,  1914: — 

PASTOR 

Rev.  Samuel  Dunham. 


Appendix 


251 


W.  H.  Preston, 
F.  F.  Foster, 
Geo.  N.  Mason, 

Scott  Wilbur, 

A.  L.  Bailey, 

W.  F.  Waterman, 

John  A.  Cline, 
W.  O.  Rowley, 
L.  M.  Twining, 


ELDERS 

W.  O.  Rowley, 
J.  W.  Keller, 
J.  P.  Wells. 

DEACONS 

A.  E.  Spencer, 
J.  C.  Waterman, 
W.  H.  Neal. 

TRUSTEES 

Scott  Wilbur, 
Wm.   Bettenhauser, 
Leon  S.  Landon. 


ORIGINAL  MEMBERS  OF  THE  FLORAL  AVE- 
NUE CHURCH  AT  ITS  ORGANIZATION 
MAY  22,  1892 


Charles  T.  Dickson, 
Mrs.    Antoinette    B.    Dick- 
son, 
Alfred  B.  Dickson, 
Louis  E.  Dickson, 
Mrs.  Louis  E.  Dickson, 
Milan  A.  Mudge, 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Mudge, 
Mrs.  Coe  Coleman, 
Miss  Tina  Stickley, 
William  Burdick, 
Mrs.  William  Burdick, 
Miss  Eva  Burdick, 
George  M.  T.  Johnson, 


Mrs.  Ellen  Wilbur, 
Stephen  D.  Wilbur, 
Mrs.  Vinie  Wilbur, 
Daniel  Tripp, 
Mrs.  Maranda  Tripp, 
Miss  Carrie  Tripp, 
James  Edward  Evans, 
Mrs.  Virginia  Frances  Ev- 
ans, 
Miss  Emma  Evans, 
Albert  Craver, 
Mrs.  Albert  Craver, 
Mrs.  G.  A.  West, 
Clarence  F.  Prentice, 


252 


Appendicc 


Mrs.  Sarah  Johnson, 
Myron  C.  Prentice, 
Mrs.  Philena  F.  Prentice, 
Mrs.  Barbara  Stickley, 
Theron  R.  HoUister, 
Andrew  Wickham, 
Mrs.  Albina  Wickham, 
Frank  Morse, 
Mrs.  Frank  Morse, 
Edwin  L.  Wilbur, 


Miss  Eva  Mack, 
Mrs.  Minnie  Elizabeth 

Turner, 
Miss  Alice  Josephine  Wil- 
bur, 
Mrs.  Lillie  Dale  Frost, 
Watson  Herman  Birdsall, 
Mrs.  Minnie  Birdsall, 
Miss  Lucy  Ann  Chalker, 
Miss  Lillie  C.  Bell. 


PIONEERS  OF  RELIGION  IN  THE  EARLY  DAYS 
OF  BINGHAMTON'S  HISTORY 

The  centennial  celebration,  in  September,  1906,  of  the 
original  settlement  of  Binghamton  and  Broome  County 
has  suggested  the  propriety  of  a  brief  retrospective  glance 
back  to  the  days  of  the  early  religious  pioneers  in  this 
region. 

In  consideration  of  the  admitted  fact  that,  from  the 
days  of  Calvin  and  Knox,  Presbyterians  have  always 
been  prominent  leaders,  if  not  foremost  in  all  great  re- 
ligious movements,  and  in  almost  everything  good  or 
great  or  noble,  one  might  be  led  to  suppose  they  would 
be  the  very  first  to  plant  the  institutions  of  religion  out 
here  among  the  pine-forests,  and  along  the  banks  of  the 
Chenango  and  the  Susquehanna,  in  the  wilds  of  Central 
New  York.  But,  according  to  the  early  annals  of  this 
settlement,  it  would  not  be  quite  true  to  the  facts  of 
history,  nor  altogether  fair  to  other  denominations  of 
Christians,  to  claim  that  the  Presbyterian  Church  was 
actually  the  pioneer  Church  of  the  little  village.     For 


Appendix  253 

as  early  as  the  year  1789  we  find  the  Baptists  upon 
the  ground  with  an  organization  of  ten  or  twelve  mem- 
bers, which,  however,  by  the  year  1800  had  become 
extinct.  And,  although  the  Baptist  people  appear  to 
have  continued  to  sustain  some  religious  services,  over 
on  the  south  side  of  the  Susquehanna,  in  the  house  of 
one  Mr.  Dunham,  yet  no  permanent  church  of  that  order 
was  here  formed  until  May,  1829,  when  the  present 
large  and  influential  First  Baptist  Church  was  organized. 

It  is,  furthermore,  on  record  that  a  Reformed  Dutch 
church,  gathered  and  ministered  to  by  Rev.  Mr.  Manly, 
had  a  kind  of  precarious  existence  here  about  the  year 
1798,  but  it  proved  to  be  but  short-lived.  This  little 
church  worshiped  in  the  attic  story  of  a  private  dwelling 
east  of  the  Chenango,  in  the  Bevier  neighborhood. 

Next  in  order  comes  a  Protestant  Episcopal  church, 
by  the  name  of  St.  Ann's,  the  date  of  whose  formation 
is  placed  on  September  19,  18 10.  Six  years  later  it  was 
dissolved,  and  a  new  society  constituted  under  the  name 
of  Christ  Church.  Their  church  edifice, — apparently  the 
first  one  erected,  and  consecrated  November  20,  1818, — 
was  afterward  sold  to  the  Methodists,  and  removed  to 
Henry  Street.  A  new  edifice  was  reared  in  1822,  and 
used  until  1854,  when  it  gave  place  to  the  present  fine 
stone  structure  on  Washington  Street,  which  was  com- 
pleted in  1855,  and  a  spire  added  in  accordance  with 
original  plans  so  late  as  1903-1 904. 

The  first  society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
dates  from  1817, — the  same  year  in  which  the  First  Pres- 
byterian Church  was  organized. 

The   Congregational   Church   followed   in    1836;   the 


254  Appendix 

Roman  Catholic  Church  about  1838,  and,  in  the  same 
year  the  Universalists  were  in  the  field  with  an  organ- 
ization of  about  fifty  members,  but,  subsequently,  died 
of  inanition,  leaving  no  trace  behind,  until  its  revival 
in  recent  years. 

The  First  Presbyterian  Church  was  organized  Novem- 
ber 20,  1817,  with  twenty  members,  three  males,  and 
seventeen  females,  all  of  whose  names  deserve  to  be  held 
in  sacred  memory,  and  transmitted  to  coming  genera- 
tions, viz.: — Jesse  Hinds,  Jonathan  Ogden  and  John 
McKinney;  Mrs.  Whiting,  of  sainted  memory  (who 
passed  away  shortly  after  my  own  coming  to  this  city 
in  1873),  Mrs.  Pratt,  Mrs.  Morse,  Mrs.  Woodruff,  Mrs. 
Sedgwick,  Mrs.  Weed,  Mrs.  Whitmore,  Mrs.  Hinds, 
Mrs.  Ely,  Mrs.  Smith,  Miss  Hannah  Whitney,  Mrs. 
Ogden,  Mrs.  Vandewater,  Mrs.  Edwards,  and  three 
others,  whose  names  do  not  appear  in  the  records. 

This  is  the  little  struggling  band  of  pioneer  Presby- 
terians who,  with  their  first  pastor,  were  familiarly 
spoken  of  in  those  days,  by  way  of  contempt,  as  "Mr. 
Niles  and  his  women," — a  phrase,  however,  which  ceased 
ere  long  to  be  a  term  of  reproach,  when  it  was  found 
that  this  little  company  of  God's  people  were  made  of 
sturdy  stuff,  and  had  come  to  stay ;  and,  especially,  when, 
in  later  years,  it  became  manifest  that  that  heroic  little 
band,  numbering  but  a  single  score  of  souls,  had  turned 
out  to  be  the  nucleus  of  the  strongest  and  most  influential 
religious  body  in  this  section  of  the  country. 

It  should  be  remembered,  however,  that  the  First 
Church,  though  constituted  by  two  Presbyterian  min- 
isters, and  having,  from  the  first,  relations  with  Pres- 


Appendix  255 

bytery,  was  originally  formed  under  the  Congregational 
polity.  I  account  for  this  from  the  fact  that  this  place, 
very  early,  received  a  strong  infusion  of  New  England 
blood,  and  Presbyterianism  had  little  or  no  place  in 
New  England  in  those  days. 

Captain  Joseph  Leonard, — the  first  white  man  who 
made  a  permanent  settlement  here  in  the  year  1787, — 
came  from  Wyoming,  but  was  originally  from  Plymouth, 
Mass., — from  the  very  shadow  of  old  "Burial  Hill"  and 
Plymouth  Rock.  His  home  here  was  just  above  the 
present  location  of  the  county  poor  house.  His  son, 
Amasa,  is  reputed  to  have  been  the  first  white  child  born 
in  Broome  County. 

Colonel  Wm.  Rose  and  his  brother,  who  came  to 
these  parts  a  little  later,  settled  still  farther  up  the 
Chenango,  at  what  is  now  Nimmonsburg.  The  Roses 
hailed  from  old  Connecticut,  and,  with  the  usual  pluck 
of  Connecticut  men,  they  started  out,  not  on  a  bicycle, 
nor  an  automobile,  but  on  foot,  and  finished  up  their 
journey,  from  the  region  of  the  Catskills,  in  a  canoe  on 
the  Susquehanna. 

New  England  blood, — in  fact, — flowed  in  the  veins  of 
many  of  the  early  settlers  in  these  beautiful  valleys. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  ascertain  what  proportion 
of  the  population  of  this  city  to-day  are  of  New  England 
extraction.  As  to  the  eleven  successive  pastors  of  the 
First  Church,  I  am  not  quite  sure  about  the  first  five, — 
the  Rev.  Messrs.  Niles,  Lockwood,  Howell,  Nash  and 
Gregory;  but  I  suspect  some  of  them,  at  least,  had  their 
birth  or  education  or  both  east  of  the  Hudson.  The 
next  five,  I  am  quite  sure,  were  regular  down-Easters. 


256  Appendix 

John  Humphrey,  the  son  of  President  Humphrey  of 
Amherst  College ;  Wm.  H.  Goodrich,  the  son  of  my 
venerated  professor,  Dr.  Chauncey  Goodrich,  of  Yale ; 
Dr.  Boardman,  from  the  atmosphere  of  a  New  England 
college ;  Dr.  Gulliver,  born  and  bred  in  Congregational 
New  England,  and  devoting  most  of  the  years  of  his 
labor  there ;  and  our  gifted  brother,  the  late  Dr.  Nichols, 
saturated  with  the  same  spirit  among  the  rugged  hills  of 
old  Berkshire. 

Rev.  J.  J.  Lawrence,  the  present  incumbent,  and  the 
eleventh  pastor  in  the  line  of  succession,  though  a  son 
of  Old  England,  will  readily  be  welcomed  to  the  goodly 
fellowship  of  New  England  clergymen. 

But,  the  Congregational  form  of  government  proved 
of  short  duration. 

At  a  church  meeting,  June  12,  1820,  it  was  voted, 
"to  request  of  Presbytery  liberty  to  adopt  the  Directory 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States" ;  and, 
April  14,  1821,  "Voted  to  accept  the  Directory  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church." 

It  is  evident  that,  from  the  period  of  the  earliest  set- 
tlement of  this  place,  Presbyterian  influences  were  ac- 
tively at  work. 

Among  the  early  pioneers  of  Presbyterianism,  was 
John  Miller, — a  devout  and  godly  man, — who,  as  early 
as  1788,  settled  some  five  miles  above  this  place  on  the 
cast  side  of  the  Chenango,  but  conducted  Sabbath  wor- 
ship at  the  house  of  Samuel  Harding,  at  the  old  ferry, 
"walking,"  as  the  record  shows,  "with  his  daughters  four 
miles  for  this  purpose." 

Moreover,  it  is  conceded  that  "the  ecclesiastical  body 


Appendix  257 

which  first  moved  in  the  work  of  evangelizing  this  part 
of  the  country  was  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church." 

Its  missionaries,  Rev.  Nathan  Ker,  and  Rev.  Joshua 
Hart,  were  sent  to  this  frontier  settlement  as  early  as 
1790.  The  efficient  labors  of  Rev.  Seth  Williston,  as 
the  representative  of  the  "Missionary  Society  of  Con- 
necticut," fall  at  a  later  date — 1796. 

It  is  interesting,  also,  to  note  that  the  first  Sabbath 
School  in  this  place  was  formed  in  1818,  by  the  female 
members  of  the  First  Church. 

Enough,  I  think,  has  been  said,  fairly  to  establish  for 
Presbyterians  the  claim  that  they  were,  in  an  important 
sense,  the  real  pioneers  of  religion  in  this  town  and  in 
this  section  of  the  country. 

But,  of  far  greater  interest  to  us  is  the  thought  of 
what  has  been  the  outcome  of  those  heroic,  self-sacrificing 
struggles  of  a  hundred  years  ago.  Behold,  what  hath 
God  wrought!  Instead  of  that  original  band  of  20 
poor  and  often  struggling  and  disheartened  members,  we 
have,  at  the  present  time,  seven  growing  and  prosperous 
Presbyterian  churches  with  a  membership  aggregating 
some  3,500, — an  increase  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  fold. 

Other  denominations  show  a  similar  increase  in  the 
number  of  churches  and  adherents. 

These  splendid  results,  thus  far  achieved,  are,  un- 
doubtedly, to  be  attributed  in  no  small  degree  to  the 
policy  adopted  some  years  ago  of  planting  new  churches 
in  the  needy  portions  of  the  field. 

The  voices  of  the  past  proclaim  in  our  ears  the  duty 
of  still  advancing  in  like  lines  of  aggressive  Christian 


258  Appendix 

effort  in  the  building  and  strengthening  of  the  Kingdom. 
"Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  that  they  go  for- 
ward." By  the  sacred  memory  of  those  who  have  gone 
before  us,  who  have  struggled  on  this  field  so  manfully, 
so  courageously,  and  with  so  much  of  the  self-denying 
spirit  of  the  Master,  in  the  years  long  gone,  and,  above 
all,  for  the  sake  of  Christ  Himself,  and  for  the  honor 
of  His  cause,  we  are  under  a  solemn  and  imperative 
obligation  to  press  on  in  the  work  of  laying  yet  more 
broadly  and  firmly  the  foundations  of  our  faith. 

A  little  more  of  what  the  French  so  aptly  call  '^Esprit 
de  corps'' — a  little  more  of  that  animating  spirit  which 
fires  the  whole  body  with  a  glow  of  enthusiastic  devotion 
to  the  Cause,  would  be  a  magnificent  thing  for  our  united 
churches,  and  a  blessing  to  the  whole  community. 

Standing  by  Calvin's  grave  at  Geneva,  and  witnessing 
the  modest  little  stone  bearing  as  its  only  inscription 
the  simple  letters  "J.  C."  and  thinking  of  the  prodigious 
influence  wielded  by  that  mighty  intellect,  and  of  the 
moral  and  spiritual  forces  set  in  motion  in  his  day,  we 
could  but  feel  that  the  Presbyterian  and  Reformed 
Churches  holding  the  Calvinistic  faith,  need  not  be 
ashamed  of  their  spiritual  and  ecclesiastical  lineage. 

"John  Calvin,"  says  Ranke,  "was  virtually  the 
founder  of  America." 

Dr.  A.  A.  Hodge  holds  that  the  old  Calvinistic 
"Shorter  Catechism  fought  through  successfully  the 
Revolutionary  War." 

And  our  own  historian,  Bancroft,  declares :  "He  that 
will  not  honor  the  memory  and  respect  the  influence  of 


Appendioo  259 

Calvin,    knows    but    little    of    the    origin    of   American 
liberty." 

In  these  days  of  new  departures,  of  heresies  and  higher 
criticisms,  of  isms  and  schisms  and  shams,  of  trim- 
ming and  tinkering  and  tempering  with  the  Word  of 
God;  in  these  times  of  "graft,"  and  political  intrigue 
and  colossal  corruption  both  in  public  and  private  life, 
it  would  do  none  of  us  any  harm  and  would  prove  a 
blessing  to  the  American  people,  did  we  all  possess 
a  little  more  of  the  genuine  Calvinistic  back-bone,  and 
a  little  more  of  the  old  vertebrate  Puritan  type  of  piety 
known  to  the  pioneers  of  a  century  ago. 


THE    END 


